Knowledge and attitudes regarding pain of nursing students in South Korea: A cross-sectional study

Purpose: Nurses are essential in pain management. Therefore, nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes toward pain are important, as they will care for patients experiencing various types of pain in clinical practice. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional survey to assess the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students in South Korea regarding pain. The online survey used the “Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (KASRP)” developed by Ferrell and McCaffery. Data were analyzed using χ² tests, independent t-tests, and one-way ANOVA with Scheffé post-hoc test. Results: The knowledge and attitudes regarding pain among 126 nursing students averaged 20.40±4.06 points out of 41. Knowledge levels were classified as poor in 60 students (47.6%) and fair in 66 students (52.4%). The lowest correct response rates were observed in cancer-related pain (33.3%) and drug-related questions (47.6%). The pain education method was the only variable that significantly affected students’ knowledge and attitudes (F=7.70, p<.001). In this study 54.0% of students did not trust patients’ pain reports, and most participants did not implement appropriate pain interventions. Only 9.5% answered correctly regarding the respiratory suppression effects of opioid analgesics. Conclusion: Universities should recognize that students showed insufficient knowledge and attitudes regarding analgesics, pain assessment, and interventions. Reforming educational approaches in universities is essential to ensure that students are prepared to appropriate pain management in future clinical practice.