Abstract:
The understanding of neonatal pain and its management has been developing since the mid-
1970s. But in resource-limited countries, the care of preterm and high-risk neonates in intensive
care units (NICUs) is a new field. The focus has been just on saving the lives of these newborns,
therefore, pain management has not been part of the plan of care. In fact, some providers may not
know or believe that neonates experience pain. Research has shown that fetuses experience pain
as early as 20 weeks of gestation. Neonates in the NICU experience pain from both medical
interventions and invasive procedures many times a day. It is the professional and ethical
responsibility of nurses and midwives to be able to recognize and deal with neonatal pain. This
can be especially challenging as newborns are unable to self- report. Therefore nurses and
midwives must be knowledgeable on the management of neonatal pain.
Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nurses and midwives regarding
neonatal pain management.
Methodology: A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive design was used. Data were collected
from 66 nurses and midwives in the neonatal and pediatric units of a district and referral hospital
in Kigali, Rwanda using self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive (frequency count, mean,
percentages) and inferential (Chi-square, Fisher‘ Exact test) was used to analyze the data.
Results: The majority (74.2%) of nurses and midwives had a low level of knowledge related to
pain management in neonates. Of the 66 participants, 51.5% had a positive attitude toward
neonatal pain management while 84.8% had a low level of practice. A statistically significant
association was found between knowledge and practice (p-value 0.026), attitude and practice (pvalue
0.011). In consideration of the study findings, nurses and midwives need training programs
regarding neonatal pain management that could finally influence the effective nursing practice of
neonatal pain management.
