Pain management of neonatal intensive care units in Japan.

Aim: To describe current neonatal pain management and individual and organizational factors that can improve neonatal pain practice from the viewpoints of both head nurses and head neonatologists in Japan.

Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was sent to general perinatal maternal and child medical centres that had level 3 units across Japan.

Results: A total of 61 of 89 head nurses and 54 of 89 head neonatologists replied. The responses of head nurses and head neonatologists were almost the same. More than 60% of units (head nurses, 65%; head neonatologists, 61%) did not use pain scales, and about 63% units (both head nurses and head neonatologists) had no rules for health care professionals on the best methods for implementing pain relief for painful diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Only 17% of head nurses and 24% of head neonatologists considered that nurses and physicians in their units collaborated in pain management, and <20% of units (both head nurses and head neonatologists) had written guidelines for their unit on neonatal pain management.

Conclusion: This study suggested that Japanese neonatal intensive care units need national guidelines for pain management, and these might improve collaboration between nurses and physicians in minimizing neonatal pain.