Pain is among the most common effects of cancer and its treatment. Children and young people with cancer often consider pain from procedures and treatment to be the worst aspect of their illness.This study aimed to i) identify and describe knowledge and attitudes to pain and pain management amongst nurses working with children with cancer and ii) compare the perspectives on pain and pain management of nurses from UK, South Africa and Sweden.at UNIV OF NORTH DAKOTA on June 27, 2015 jrn.sagepub.com Downloaded from 106 nurses working with children with cancer in UK, South Africa and Sweden completed Salanterä's (1999) questionnaire on nurses' attitudes to pain in children.Nurses had good levels of knowledge and positive attitudes to pain management, with Swedish nurses' having higher levels of knowledge and a more positive attitude to pain management than nurses from UK or South Africa.A high level of knowledge was correlated to a more positive attitude to pain management. Knowledge levels need to be improved to ensure more positive attitudes to pain management, especially for nurses in South Africa. Swedish nurses' level of knowledge about non-pharmacological pain management strategies has scope for improvement. British nurses may need to focus more on the sociology and psychology of pain.

The nurses were comfortable in predictable situations, but if a situation was unpredictable, they felt they had lost control over it. IMPLICATIONS FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT: To reduce feelings of abandonment, work shifts should be organized so that more experienced nurses can work side by side with those who are less experienced. Pain assessment tools and guidelines for pain management should be introduced into the daily work, and systematic reflection should be used for nurses' professional development.

Pain management in children could be improved through increased co-operation between nurses, physicians and parents. Planning time and good routines could facilitate pain management. Education about pain management and children's pain behaviour might also improve nurses' ability to manage pain in children.

Pain management in children could be improved through increased co-operation between nurses, physicians and parents. Planning time and good routines could facilitate pain management. Education about pain management and children's pain behaviour might also improve nurses' ability to manage pain in children.

No abstract