Background

Pain assessment and pain relief in children has traditionally remained a subject where research has been lacking. In recent years this has changed, but new knowledge about pain in children and how to relieve it still isn’t used in full capacity in clinical practice.

Aim

The aim of the review was to assess what’s affecting the nurse’s decision when doing pain assessment and relieving pain in children.

Method

A systematic literature overview study based on nine articles, both qualitative and quantitative. The results of the nurse’s decision when doing pain assessment and relieving pain in children were divided in to themes and subthemes.

Results

Many things can affect how the nurse decides how to do her pain assessment and the following pain relieving in children. Three themes came up and were named knowledge, organizational structure and attitudes.

Conclusion

The nurses need more knowledge about pain and children and how to assess and manage the pain. Guidelines might help nurses make the right decisions when doing pain assessment and relieve pain in children