Perceptions of Procedural Pain: Parents, Nurses, and Children

The study's purpose was to determine if children, their parents, and their nurses differ in their perception of pain associated with health care procedures. A convenience sample of 40 subjects was obtained in a pediatric clinic. The subjects were triads of a child, the child's parent, and the nurse. The study utilized an exploratory design. Self-reports of pain were measured using the Oucher scale. Data were collected during a routine physical examination that included an immunization. Subjects rated the child's perceived pain after the immunization. No significant differences were found between the child's and the parent's scores. A significant difference was found between the child's and nurse's score (p = .0084). Initial findings suggest that there are differences in pain perception between nurses and children.