To identify nurses' knowledge of pain and its management in older people in acute hospitals.

A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional design was used to survey a convenience sample of nurses. Data were collected using the Pain in the Elderly Questionnaire.

The overall mean total score on the questionnaire was 65%, with scores ranging from 7-100%. While there is no recommended score, results indicate lack of nurse knowledge. The four questions with the lowest percentage of correct scores were related to pharmacology. Less than 25% of nurses had recent pain management education.

These findings indicate a knowledge deficit among nurses regarding pain and its management in older people, particularly in relation to opioid management. To improve pain management, nurses caring for older people would benefit from participation in an education programme with clinical application, such as expert-led, real-life or simulation demonstrations rather than lecture/discussion format only.