Nursing Team Experiences Reducing Post Cardiac Surgery Pain with Complementary Therapies Vivencias del Equipo de Enfermería Reduciendo Dolor Postquirúrgico Cardiaco con Terapias Complementarias

Abstract

Objective: To learn about the experiences of the nursing team in pain management and the use of non-pharmacological interventions in postoperative cardiovascular surgery patients. Method: Qualitative study with descriptive phenomenological design. Nine nurses and three technicians working in the cardiovascular intensive care unit (ICU), who had at least two years of experience in the ICU and performed exclusively nursing tasks, participated in the study. The phenomenological interview was applied to this population. Information saturation was the measure that established the final sample size. Results: Five phenomenological themes were identified: empathy and sensitivity in the detection of pain, objective perception of pain, non-pharmacological interventions as a complement, interpersonal interaction as a therapeutic link, and requirements and barriers for applying non-pharmacological interventions. Within these themes, 69 units of meaning were grouped. Conclusion: Pain management in postoperative cardiovascular surgery patients is a great challenge perceived by the nursing team, since it requires commitment and sensitivity in the timely identification of manifestations and triggers of pain, leading to treat or reducing the symptom through pharmacological measures in acute phases, and concomitantly facilitate other non-pharmacological care focused on humanized care, communication, therapy and family.