Attitudes of Nursing Students toward Pain Assessment: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine nursing students’ attitudes toward pain assessment.
Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between June 19 and June 30, 2025, with the participation of nursing students. Data were collected online using the “Student Nurse Introductory Information Form” and the “Nursing Students’ Attitudes Scale Toward Pain Assessment (NSASPA).”
Results: The study was completed with 234 nursing students. The mean age of the participants was 20.82±2.04 years; 70.9% were female, and 40.6% were 2nd-year students. The students’ mean total NSASPA score was 61.29±9.38. Statistically significant differences were found in attitude scores based on variables, such as having received pain-related training, attending theoretical courses, having clinical experience with patients in pain, and feeling competent in pain assessment (p<0.05).
Discussion and Conclusion: Nursing students were found to have generally positive attitudes toward pain assessment. However, these attitudes varied depending on their level of knowledge, clinical experience, and educational background.

Keywords: Attitude; Nursing students; Pain; Pain assessment