Distraction techniques and pain in venous puncture in children aged 2 to 12 years in a Pediatric Intermediate Hospitalization Ward in the months of November-December 2020

Procedural pain management is an underutilized practice in children, despite the availability of effective treatments. In recent years, there have been several investigations on how to minimize pain in children during invasive procedures. The aim of this study is to describe the relationship between the use of distraction techniques and pain during venous puncture in children from 2 to 12 years of age, in a Pediatric Intermediate Hospitalization Ward during the months of November-December 2020. A qualitative, non-experimental, in-depth descriptive and cross-sectional research was conducted on 11 nursing professionals. A 14-item self-administered questionnaire collected information on the sociodemographic characteristics of the nurses, the knowledge and experience in distraction techniques and the assessment of pain outcomes when applied. A theoretical approach based on non-pharmacological techniques in pain prevention was used. The nurses participating in the study comprised a group with a majority of technical degrees (82%) and 45% with more than 5 years of seniority as pediatric nurses. All the nurses said they were aware of the existence of distraction techniques. Nine nurses (81.81%) stated that the techniques are effective because the patient calms down before starting the technique (4 nurses) and because the distractor distracts them from what is happening (5 nurses). Two professionals perceive that the technique does not change the patient's pain or stress situation because distrust of the technique or of the health care team outweighs the distractors. Post-technique respiratory and heart rate indicators contradicted the nurses' perception of usefulness