Enf.º João Grade

Nurse Specialist in Child and Paediatric Health
Nurse Responsible for the
Paediatric Emergency Care Unit

Enf.ª Ana Patrícia Gonçalves

Nurse Specialist in Child
and Paediatric Health
Nurse Responsible for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Paediatric Inpatient and Outpatient Clinic

Humanized Care:
Nursing in the Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology

HPA Magazine 24 // 2025

In the Department of Paediatrics and Neonatology – Gambelas Unit, of the HPA Saúde Group, the nursing team represents one of the fundamental pillars of care for newborns, children and adolescents. Composed of around 30 nurses, this team stands out for its high level of qualification and commitment to providing humane, technical and emotionally competent care. More than half of these professionals have specialized training in Child and Paediatric Health Nursing, which gives them specific skills to work in a highly demanding and sensitive environment, where every detail matters and every gesture can make a difference.

The nursing team's work encompasses all phases of the child's care journey, starting with the Paediatric Emergency Room, where acute illness situations are handled with the agility and care that characterize paediatric clinical practice. These professionals are prepared to respond effectively to urgent episodes, combining technical knowledge with a reassuring approach for both the child and their caregivers. In more complex situations, the team ensures specialized care in Paediatric Hospitalization, guaranteeing not only the necessary clinical treatment, but also the continuity of treatment in a safe environment, where the hospital routine is adapted to the age and individual needs of each child/family.
The excellence of the team is particularly visible in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a service that requires constant vigilance, advanced technical skills and deep sensitivity. Here, nurses care for premature newborns or those with serious pathologies, often accompanying them from the first seconds of life.
Supporting birth, especially in more delicate situations, is one of the most critical moments in the neonatal journey. It is also where the training and experience of nurses prove essential to ensure clinical stability and emotional comfort. Every action is carefully planned to ensure not only safe care, but also the baby's bond with its parents.
The team's work also extends to Paediatric Nursing Consultations, a space for prevention, education and monitoring, where topics such as breastfeeding, monitoring growth and development, administering vaccines and caring for newborns are addressed. At these times, nurses also take on a pedagogical role, promoting health literacy among families and strengthening their autonomy in caring for their children. The same technical rigor and empathy are carried over to the Imaging service, where nurses perform sedation for imaging exams, a highly sensitive practice that requires not only clinical expertise, but also the ability to create a calm and safe environment so that the procedure can occur without trauma.
Recognizing the importance of a rapid and differentiated response in critical situations, the department has a Paediatric In-Hospital Medical Emergency Team. This team is made up of a Paediatrician and a Nurse Specialist in Child and Paediatric Health, both trained in Paediatric Advanced Life Support. It is a structure prepared to act promptly in emergency situations within the hospital unit, ensuring an effective and coordinated response, capable of clinically stabilizing the child and ensuring the continuity of intensive care whenever necessary. This rapid and specialized response reinforces the security of 24-hour services and provides peace of mind to families, knowing that there is a team permanently available for any eventuality.
 

To ensure the maintenance and continuous evolution of the quality of care provided, the nursing team invests strategically in the ongoing training of its professionals. Clinical simulation and regular training are fundamental instruments in this process, allowing the improvement of technical skills in a controlled environment, the management of emergency situations and the consolidation of teamwork. These practices directly reflect the confidence and security with which nurses intervene on a daily basis, even in the most demanding contexts.
But more than the technique, it is the way this team takes care of itself that sets it apart. The commitment to humanized and atraumatic care is a priority across all services. From the application of pain and stress relief techniques, to the use of distraction or comfort strategies during invasive procedures, everything is designed to minimize the emotional impact of the hospital experience. The focus is not just on the illness, but on the child as a whole, their emotions, their family context, their right to be cared for with respect and dignity. And it is precisely this child- and family-centered approach that strengthens trust and connection between healthcare professionals and patients.
This humanization is not just a philosophy; it is a practice carried out daily that involves adapting spaces, choosing materials, communicating, and respecting children's rhythms and preferences. It is also visible in active listening to parents and caregivers, who are recognized as essential partners in care and integrated into all stages of the process. This commitment to the presence and participation of the family is particularly important in contexts such as neonatal hospitalization, where the bond between the newborn and the parents is as fragile as it is vital.
The nursing team's work also involves working with other health professionals — paediatricians and neonatologists, medical assistants, psychologists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, nutritionists — in an interdisciplinary work model that enriches the clinical response and ensures a truly integrated approach. This ongoing collaboration between areas is further evidence of the institution's commitment to modern, comprehensive and child-centered paediatrics.
In a context where technical demand is growing, but the need for proximity is also reinforced, the nursing team of the Paediatrics and Neonatology Department of the HPA Saúde Group remains faithful to its mission: to care with science, sensitivity and heart. It is demanding work, often done out of the public eye, but with a profound impact on the lives of those receiving such care. And that is why, more than a team, these professionals are a constant presence, a trusted reference and, often, the closest and most comforting face of the hospital experience for so many children and families.