Health Care Providers' Experiences of the Non-Pharmacological Pain and Anxiety Management and Its Barriers in the Pediatric Intensive Care Units

Objectives: Children in the intensive care unit experience a high level of pain and anxiety. This study aimed to re-veal the health care providers experience of non-pharmacological pain and anxiety management and its barriers in the pediatric intensive care unit. Methods: This qualitative-descriptive study was conducted with thirteen nurses and five physicians in the pedi-atric intensive care unit in Iran. Individual, in-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted, which were analyzed by conventional content analysis. Results: Five main categories were identified from data analysis: 1) The importance of parents' presence, 2) Dis-turbance in the presence of parents and communication during the COVID-19 pandemic, 3) Choosing non-pharmacological approaches according to the child's interests and conditions, 4) Building trust in the child through non-pharmacological interventions 5) Barriers to non-pharmacological pain and anxiety management in the pediatric intensive care unit. Conclusion: Health care providers implement some non-pharmacological methods to manage pain and anxiety in the pediatric intensive care unit. Facilitating the open presence of parents, using innovative methods to commu-nicate with children, and training and psychological support for nurses and parents, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic are recommended. (c) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.