Assessment of pain management among nurses using the knowledge and attitude survey regarding pain tool

Background: The prevalence of pain among cancer patients vary in the cancer trajectory and nurses will encounter patients with cancers who may experience pain. Nurses routinely need to assess and manage pain to deliver quality care. Aim and method: The study aims to understand the knowledge and attitudes of nurses towards pain management using the self-administered questionnaire—the Knowledge and Attitude Survey Regarding Pain (KASRP). Findings: Some 80 nurses participated in the study with an average overall KASRP score of 56%. Areas that were poorly answered are related to the knowledge about opioids, assessment of pain and management of pain in different scenarios. Factors like nurse-patient relationships and being unfamiliar with opioids may affect the knowledge and attitude of nurses towards pain management. Conclusion: Curriculum on pain management needs to consider strategies to help nurses translate knowledge to bedside clinical teaching. It needs to include facts of pain management, and topics regarding self-awareness and clarifying misconceptions.