Contributing to our Health -- A Series About StFX Research Making A Difference In Our Communities
StFX is a leader in health innovation and entrepreneurship in Nova Scotia. In this ongoing series, we proudly shine a spotlight on our health research leaders, research and community health partnerships and their impact. For more on the Contributing to our Health series, click the link below.
Contributing to our Health series
It is important for more research to be focused on newborns with various conditions, such as Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS), so their pain can be accurately assessed thus leading to better pain management. ~ StFX student Julianna Lavergne
Research looking into pain assessment for newborns: Meet StFX student Julianna Lavergne
StFX student Julianna Lavergne is helping to make life better for the youngest of patients.
The Rankin School of Nursing student from Ottawa, ON spent this past summer conducting a literature review focused on the use of pain assessments for newborns who have Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS). Pain indicators that are typically used with newborns are the same as some signs/symptoms of NOWS, which complicates pain assessments, says Ms. Lavergne.
“The goal of my research is to identify any evidence on pain assessments for newborns with NOWS. This summer I was able to work on my methodology, including developing a search strategy with librarians, finishing my protocol, and taking a course in my specific methodology (Johanna Briggs Institute scoping reviews),” says Ms. Lavergne who was the recipient of a Scotia Scholar Undergraduate Research Award from Research Nova Scotia, which helped enable this work. She is supervised by Rankin School of Nursing professor Dr. Britney Benoit.
“With the rise of the opioid epidemic, an increasing number of newborns are being born at risk of NOWS. These newborns typically have longer hospital stays and are exposed to a greater amount of clinically required painful procedures. Repeated exposure to pain at this age can lead to immediate physiologic instability and long-term negative effects on neurocognitive development and pain sensitivity,” she says.
“Accurate pain assessment is necessary for adequate pain management. However, lots of research excludes newborns at risk of NOWS as the manifestations of NOWS can complicate the common pain tools and indicators used.
Ms. Lavergne says it is important for more research to be focused on newborns with various conditions, such as NOWS, so their pain can be accurately assessed thus leading to better pain management.
“From our research we have found no evidence syntheses regarding procedural pain assessment for newborns with NOWS, so our scoping review is filling that gap,” she says. “With the studies found from our search that include newborns at risk of NOWS, we are hoping to guide future research on clinical assessment and management of pain in this increasingly prevalent population.”
Ms. Lavergne says the opportunity to be involved in this research meant she was able to further pursue her interest in nursing and healthcare research, challenge herself academically, and overall continue learning.
“I am grateful to Research Nova Scotia and my supervisor Dr. Britney Benoit for this experience.
“This was a great opportunity to really focus my time and efforts on conducting my research and learning about the research process. One of the greatest benefits throughout my experience, was being able to make so many connections with professionals in health research fields.”
