Mothers' Lived Experiences of Participating in Pain Management for Hospitalised Preterm Infants During Invasive...

Preterm infants are subjected to numerous painful procedures during their hospitalisation. Parental involvement, especially mothers, in pain management has been emphasised as one of the most effective approaches for relieving this pain. Understanding mothers' experiences is critical to improving neonatal pain management. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of mothers from participating in pain management for hospitalised preterm infants during invasive procedures.

This research is a qualitative study with an interpretive phenomenological approach. Data were collected through unstructured interviews with 10 mothers of preterm infants, employing purposeful sampling using a sequential and emergence-driven strategy with a saturation/redundancy approach to select participants. Interviews were initiated with an open-ended question about the mothers' experiences of participating in infants' pain management during invasive procedures, followed by probing questions based on their experiences. Data analysis was conducted through an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach.

The analysis revealed a constitutive pattern of 'progressive development of capability', comprising three themes: reconstructing the healing role of the mother, maternal growth and transformation, and becoming a healing agent. The subthemes are as follows: 'Sense of helplessness', 'mother on the margin', 'becoming an advocate', 'witnessing pain, discovering responsibility', 'observation and learning', 'laying the groundwork for participation', 'maternal selflessness', 'understanding the maternal healing power' and 'self-confidence'.

The findings of this study revealed that mothers of preterm infants gradually develop the capability to manage their infants' pain with the support and education of healthcare professionals. Empowering mothers as active partners through staff education and attention to family-centred care approaches can improve neonatal pain management.