2.2 Alleviating stress for practitioners

The interactive figure shows five circles that each contain information. From top-right, going clockwise:

‘there’s a tendency to under-dose, and as I say it is a confidence issue’, ‘giving less paracetamol.’ Some practitioners reflected on sub-optimal analgesic prescribing and dosage for children due to a lack of confidence.

‘in terms of morphine, people are still very, can be very cautious with it.’ Some practitioners reflected on sub-optimal analgesic prescribing and dosage for children due to a lack of confidence.

‘the more you do it the more confident you get.’ Participants reported the factors that can influence practitioner confidence, such as experience.

‘the experience, the education, device training as well.’ Participants reported the factors that can influence practitioner confidence, such as experience. This was a key factor.

‘You can’t be confident with your pain delivery unless you’ve had the training to know that what you’re doing is right.’ Participants reported the factors that can influence practitioner confidence, such as experience. This is another point to note.

The interactive figure shows five circles that each contain information. From top-right, going clockwise:

‘knowing the norm’ Practitioners shared their views of what engendered confidence such as knowledge and experience.

‘readily, easily accessible’ Practitioners shared their views of what engendered confidence such as knowledge and experience.

‘clear easy to understand guidelines and protocols’ Practitioners shared their views of what engendered confidence such as knowledge and experience.

‘use of language and their demeanour … on patients’ Participants talked of the need for confident delivery to be underpinned by good communication and for colleagues to understand the impact of their behaviour. This suggestion relates closely to the earlier suggestion of being approachable to parents as a factor that would help reduce stress, calling for an element of self-awareness for practitioners, being cognisant of the impact of their behaviour on parents.

‘need to have confidence in the nurse’, ‘the basic package … doesn’t fit’ The impact of practitioners behaviour was reported as: Families ‘need to have confidence in the nurse’ and this confidence could also be facilitated by working with the support of the pain team’s expertise when ‘the basic package … doesn’t fit’