The purpose of this thesis was to clarify nurses’ experiences of the methods of pain management work when they have a patient who suffers from cancer. The purpose was also to consider convention and their differences of the vari-ety of the conventuin in the wards taking part in this research. This thesis aimed to clarify methods of pain management which can be used in health centre wards. The thesis aimed also to study nurses’ experiences in pain man-agement work in health centre wards and study what possible problems there are in pain management.

This thesis was accomplished in two health centre wards which are located in Southern Pirkanmaa. The thesis topic arose in cooperation with the wards’ department manager. In this thesis a qualitative research method was used and the material was collected by theme interviews. Four (4) nurses and four prac-tical nurses who are working in wards were interviewed for the research. With the theme interviews information was collected on the experiences that nurses had in cancer patient pain management execution, evaluation and developing. In the interviews the nurses were also asked about the cancer patient palliative care execution, evaluation and developing.

According to the results the nurses and practical nurses felt that the pain man-agement of the cancer patient was manifold. Nurses’ work was also affected by their own attitude in pain management. Nurses were interested in pain management and they were willing to improve their activity and their own know-how. Nurses felt that the palliative care is to taking care of different kind of symptoms and keeping track of good nutrition.