Neonatal pain in a broader perspective: An analysis through systems thinking

Abstract

This essay aims to reflect on the complexity of neonatal pain in light of Fritjof Capra's systemic thinking. It analyzes the phenomenon of pain in newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care, highlighting its complex and multidimensional nature. It observes the main characteristics of the neonatal system that guide and support multidisciplinary care from a systemic perspective. A parallel is drawn between the reductionist view, characterized by punctual and isolated interventions, and the view of pain from the perspective of complexity, which leads to integrality, multidisciplinarity, and interconnectivity. Systemic-complex thinking is established as a relevant framework for understanding the multidimensionality of pain perception by newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care units and by care teams, aiming at integrated, multidisciplinary, humanized care sensitive to the particularities of the newborn and their environment. The implications for neonatal nursing include the need for continuous and contextualized pain assessment, the development of competencies for integrated management, and leadership in coordinating multidisciplinary strategies.