Introduction: Satisfying patient’s expectation of timely pain relief remains a challenge in government run cancer hospitals, considering the huge number of patients. With the aim to improve pain management practices by nursing staff, a program was started to develop a nursing task force for early pain management.

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and competency of nursing staff specific to pain management of patients with cancer and to develop a nursing task force specific to perform pain related interventions. The secondary objective was to assess the opinion of nurses and the acute pain team regarding developing a pain specific nursing task force.

Methodology: Total 100 nurses with minimum 3 years experience in oncology in Tertiary Cancer centre were selected using purposive sampling. A training program of 2 weeks including supervised experience to complete the competency checklist of pain related interventions. Knowledge and opinion was assessed using a structured questionnaire, the number of procedures performed after training monitored using a record sheet.

Results: The mean pretest and posttest knowledge score of 100 nurses was 8.93 (range ± SD: 5 to 16 ±2.58) and 11.23 respectively (range ± SD: 6 to 18 ± 2.70). Number of pain specific procedures like filling up CADD pump, elastomeric pump, care of regional catheters, and removal of regional and epidural catheter performed by the nursing staff increased exponentially which was completely nil before training. Opinion of nurses and pain team doctors showed a positive change in the approach towards SOS medication and care of patients with pain.

Conclusion: Training of nursing staff in pain management has made nurses competent in performing pain relief procedures and has improved overall pain management of patients in hospital.