Nurses in private nursing homes: a study of their knowledge and attitudes to pain management in palliative care.

Nurses working in private nursing homes may not have the same degree of access to support and education in palliative care as nurses in NHS 'care of the elderly' wards. A study was conducted comparing two groups of nurses working in these two environments in one health district. Twenty-four nurses underwent semistructured interviews focusing on pain management. Both groups showed equal enthusiasm for their work with elderly patients. However, those from the care of the elderly wards were able to offer many more treatment strategies to relieve pain than their colleagues from the private nursing homes. The study uncovered a sense of isolation and a lack of postbasic education opportunities for nurses outside the NHS. If this small local study reflects a national trend, then there are major implications for the educational activities of palliative care teams.