Who understands a child's pain better? A comparison of oncology and non-oncology nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward pediatric pain assessment and management

J Pediatr Nurs. 2026 Feb 4;87:409-415. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2026.01.028. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive continuous assessment and effective pain management for pediatric pain are important.

PURPOSE: To assess the differences between oncology and non-oncology nurse knowledge and attitudes toward pediatric pain.

METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in three public hospitals and included nurses who provided oncology and/or non-oncology care in pediatric departments. The sample included 207 nurses.

RESULTS: More than half of nurses (n = 142, 68.6%) had not attended any workshop related to pediatric pain management. Both oncology and non-oncology nurses exhibited low mean of knowledge and attitude toward pediatric pain assessment and management, however, oncology nurses scored significantly higher (t = 12.13, p < .001). Among oncology nurses, higher PNKAS scores were associated with younger age (ꞵ = -0.575, p = .003), longer nursing experience (ꞵ = 0.642, p = .016), having children (ꞵ = 0.402, p = .010), and reliance on child status (ꞵ = 0.206, p = .044) and parent verbalization (ꞵ = 0.236, p = .027).

CONCLUSION: Targeted educational interventions, particularly for non-oncology nurses focusing on child-centric assessment and supported by mentorship and clear clinical policies, are essential to bridge this knowledge-attitude gap and improve pediatric pain outcomes.

IMPLICATIONS TO PRACTICE: This study underscores the critical need to implement standardized, mandatory pain management education for all pediatric nurses, with a focus on training in non-verbal pain assessment techniques. Findings emphasize that all nurses need to apply culturally sensitive approaches to overcome sociocultural barriers to effective pain relief.

PMID:41643261 | DOI:10.1016/j.pedn.2026.01.028