BackgroundIt is common for children to experience anxiety and fear before hospital visits and is usually based on expected painful treatments. Nurses are responsible for creating safety and minimizing the risks of future care suffering through non-pharmacological methods and preparations for hospital visits and treatments. However, this can become a challenge for nurses if access to materials, time and knowledge is lacking.

AimThe aim of our study was to investigate the nurses’ choice of non-pharmacological methods to minimize suffering in the form of anxiety and pain for children during needle-related medical procedures.

MethodThe study was designed as a quantitative cross-sectional study. Empirical data were collected using an analogue questionnaire answered by 41 nurses from 3 selected children's wards in a hospital.

ResultsThe results showed that the nurse’s choice of non-pharmacological methods for needle-related interventions most often consisted of distracting methods that children were familiar with and required the least amount of time for the nurses to prepare.

ConclusionThe study shows that the choice of methods is more related to time and materials rather than knowledge and education.