The attitudes, prejudices and/or myths, combined with insufficient knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals, can influence pain treatment. This study aimed to identify and analyze the evolution of the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students in relation to pain. It is a longitudinal study (descriptive/correlational) using a questionnaire based on the "Guia Orientador de Boas Práticas na Dor". In the academic year of 2011/12, the students presented an increase of 11% in their level of knowledge and attitudes in relation to pain, which reached the 40% by the end of the fourth year of the nursing course; those who showed higher rates were approximately 0.8 times more likely to reflect on and analyze their beliefs and knowledge about pain. The initial training in nursing is important in relation to the level of knowledge and attitudes of the students regarding pain, particularly in the early years of the course.
Knowledge; Attitude; Nursing; Pain
