The purpose of this study was to investigate the Neonatal Pain, Agitation, and Sedation Scale (N-PASS) tool for evidence of validity and reliability in infants and children aged one to thirty-six months in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). This study design was a prospective, non-experimental psychometric evaluation of the N-PASS tool.
The research was conducted at a Midwestern Medical Center. The sample analyzed comprised forty subjects aged one to thirty-six months.
Data collection involved the evaluation of participants every five minutes, utilizing the N-PASS sedation subscale along with the University of Michigan Sedation Scale (UMSS) and the N-PASS pain/agitation subscale along with the Face, Legs, Arms, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) tool. All subjects were observed for a minimum of ten observations.
The results showed that the Cronbach's alphas of the N-PASS sedation scale ranged from .853 to .923, and from .935 to .971 for the N-PASS pain/agitation scale. Correlations between the N-PASS sedation scale and the UMSS tool ranged from .847 to .967. Correlations between the N-PASS pain/agitation scale and the FLACC tool ranged from .980 to .996.
Repeated Measures ANOVA analysis revealed that the N-PASS sedation score decreased linearly over time. Repeated Measures ANOVA indicated that the N-PASS pain/agitation scores changed over time, but not at a linear, quadratic, or cubic form. Regression analysis revealed a statistically non-significant linear trend for the prediction of amount of time spent in PACU as a function of change in sedation levels from time 1 to time 10.
Principal axis factor analysis found that two factors accounted for 80.46 to 87.77% of the variance. One factor represented pain/agitation, and one factor represented sedation, confirming the two subscales of the N-PASS tool. All items had high factor loadings (> .60). Factor structure remained similar over the three time periods.
The implications for this research indicate sufficient evidence for use of the N-PASS tool for sedation and pain/agitation assessment in infants and children one to thirty-six months of age.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this study was to investigate the Neonatal Pain, Agitation, and Sedation Scale (N-PASS) tool for evidence of validity and reliability in infants and children aged one to thirty-six months in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). This study design was a prospective, non-experimental psychometric evaluation of the N-PASS tool.</p><p>The research was conducted at a Midwestern Medical Center. The sample analyzed comprised forty subjects aged one to thirty-six months.</p><p>Data collection involved the evaluation of participants every five minutes, utilizing the N-PASS sedation subscale along with the University of Michigan Sedation Scale (UMSS) and the N-PASS pain/agitation subscale along with the Face, Legs, Arms, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) tool. All subjects were observed for a minimum of ten observations.</p><p>The results showed that the Cronbach's alphas of the N-PASS sedation scale ranged from .853 to .923, and from .935 to .971 for the N-PASS pain/agitation scale. Correlations between the N-PASS sedation scale and the UMSS tool ranged from .847 to .967. Correlations between the N-PASS pain/agitation scale and the FLACC tool ranged from .980 to .996.</p><p>Repeated Measures ANOVA analysis revealed that the N-PASS sedation score decreased linearly over time. Repeated Measures ANOVA indicated that the N-PASS pain/agitation scores changed over time, but not at a linear, quadratic, or cubic form. Regression analysis revealed a statistically non-significant linear trend for the prediction of amount of time spent in PACU as a function of change in sedation levels from time 1 to time 10.</p><p>Principal axis factor analysis found that two factors accounted for 80.46 to 87.77% of the variance. One factor represented pain/agitation, and one factor represented sedation, confirming the two subscales of the N-PASS tool. All items had high factor loadings (> .60). Factor structure remained similar over the three time periods.</p><p>The implications for this research indicate sufficient evidence for use of the N-PASS tool for sedation and pain/agitation assessment in infants and children one to thirty-six months of age.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hummel, Patricia A."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Nursing","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:55:56Z","subjects":["Pain assessment","Sedation assessment","Nursing"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/900","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hummel, Patricia A."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-03-31T17:16:43Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Nursing"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Pain assessment","Sedation assessment","Nursing"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/900"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this study was to investigate the Neonatal Pain, Agitation, and Sedation Scale (N-PASS) tool for evidence of validity and reliability in infants and children aged one to thirty-six months in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). This study design was a prospective, non-experimental psychometric evaluation of the N-PASS tool.
The research was conducted at a Midwestern Medical Center. The sample analyzed comprised forty subjects aged one to thirty-six months.
Data collection involved the evaluation of participants every five minutes, utilizing the N-PASS sedation subscale along with the University of Michigan Sedation Scale (UMSS) and the N-PASS pain/agitation subscale along with the Face, Legs, Arms, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) tool. All subjects were observed for a minimum of ten observations.
The results showed that the Cronbach's alphas of the N-PASS sedation scale ranged from .853 to .923, and from .935 to .971 for the N-PASS pain/agitation scale. Correlations between the N-PASS sedation scale and the UMSS tool ranged from .847 to .967. Correlations between the N-PASS pain/agitation scale and the FLACC tool ranged from .980 to .996.
Repeated Measures ANOVA analysis revealed that the N-PASS sedation score decreased linearly over time. Repeated Measures ANOVA indicated that the N-PASS pain/agitation scores changed over time, but not at a linear, quadratic, or cubic form. Regression analysis revealed a statistically non-significant linear trend for the prediction of amount of time spent in PACU as a function of change in sedation levels from time 1 to time 10.
Principal axis factor analysis found that two factors accounted for 80.46 to 87.77% of the variance. One factor represented pain/agitation, and one factor represented sedation, confirming the two subscales of the N-PASS tool. All items had high factor loadings (> .60). Factor structure remained similar over the three time periods.
The implications for this research indicate sufficient evidence for use of the N-PASS tool for sedation and pain/agitation assessment in infants and children one to thirty-six months of age.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Psychometric Evaluation of the Neonatal Pain, Agitation, and Sedation Scale (n-Pass) Tool in Infants and Children Age One to Thirty-Six Months in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Hummel, Patricia A."],"dc:date.available":["2016-03-31T17:16:43Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this study was to investigate the Neonatal Pain, Agitation, and Sedation Scale (N-PASS) tool for evidence of validity and reliability in infants and children aged one to thirty-six months in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). This study design was a prospective, non-experimental psychometric evaluation of the N-PASS tool.
The research was conducted at a Midwestern Medical Center. The sample analyzed comprised forty subjects aged one to thirty-six months.
Data collection involved the evaluation of participants every five minutes, utilizing the N-PASS sedation subscale along with the University of Michigan Sedation Scale (UMSS) and the N-PASS pain/agitation subscale along with the Face, Legs, Arms, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) tool. All subjects were observed for a minimum of ten observations.
The results showed that the Cronbach's alphas of the N-PASS sedation scale ranged from .853 to .923, and from .935 to .971 for the N-PASS pain/agitation scale. Correlations between the N-PASS sedation scale and the UMSS tool ranged from .847 to .967. Correlations between the N-PASS pain/agitation scale and the FLACC tool ranged from .980 to .996.
Repeated Measures ANOVA analysis revealed that the N-PASS sedation score decreased linearly over time. Repeated Measures ANOVA indicated that the N-PASS pain/agitation scores changed over time, but not at a linear, quadratic, or cubic form. Regression analysis revealed a statistically non-significant linear trend for the prediction of amount of time spent in PACU as a function of change in sedation levels from time 1 to time 10.
Principal axis factor analysis found that two factors accounted for 80.46 to 87.77% of the variance. One factor represented pain/agitation, and one factor represented sedation, confirming the two subscales of the N-PASS tool. All items had high factor loadings (> .60). Factor structure remained similar over the three time periods.
The implications for this research indicate sufficient evidence for use of the N-PASS tool for sedation and pain/agitation assessment in infants and children one to thirty-six months of age.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/900"],"dc:subject":["Pain assessment","Sedation assessment","Nursing"],"dc:title":["Psychometric Evaluation of the Neonatal Pain, Agitation, and Sedation Scale (n-Pass) Tool in Infants and Children Age One to Thirty-Six Months in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Nursing"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:55:56Z"}