Date of Award

Summer 8-14-2026

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Dr. Barbara McClaskey

Second Advisor

Dr. Tracy Stahl

Third Advisor

Dr. Greg Belcher

Abstract

Many Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) do not provide consistent pain management for their patients. This is problematic for all infants, but particularly the preterm baby. Assessment/treatment of pain is important for preterm infants whose brains continue to develop after delivery. Repeated pain exposure has consequences, including immediate physiologic changes and long-term alterations in infants’ neurological development, which can affect future cognition and behavior. This 5-week Quality Improvement (QI) project aimed to identify barriers and educate NICU staff to better assess and treat infant pain in a Level III NICU in western NC. A literature review was conducted using the platforms CINAHL, PubMed, SAGE Journals, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and ProQuest. A Likert-scale survey and a PowerPoint educational offering, flanked by identical pre- and post-tests, were provided to the sample population of RNs/RTs. The survey data shed light on the participants’ varying beliefs and attitudes. Post-test results did not improve significantly following the PowerPoint education (p > 0.05). These findings contradicted the original hypothesis that staff’s lack of knowledge was a potential barrier to adequate pain management, and as such, would increase, as indicated by improvements in post-test scores. Limitations, particularly the study’s time frame, likely contributed to the results. Although the results of this study were disappointing, QI initiatives conducted through staff education can yield tremendous achievements across various areas of healthcare.

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