Easing the Pain for Babies and Families—the Right Words

When this unit-based team began its improvement effort, only 62.5 percent of parents at the Panorama City Medical Center NICU agreed that they were taught about the pain scale and how their infant’s pain would be managed. UBT members created a script to educate parents during admission about the type and severity of pain their newborns might experience and what steps health care providers would take to manage it. The pain management service score soared to 100 percent within three months and has remained in the 90s since then.

Here's What Worked

• Creating a script to educate parents about the type and severity of pain their newborns might experience
• Articulating clearly what steps health care providers would take to manage babies’ pain
• Educating parents about pain management at admission to NICU instead of waiting until the issue arose

What can your team do to be proactive in keeping patients and their families informed during stressful times?