Background and aims: Poorly controlled acute postoperative pain is correlated with poor patient satisfaction, increased the length of stay in the hospital, increased cost, and it can progress to chronic pain. The aim of the study was to explore the knowledge and practices of nurses in the surgery unit in a tertiary care hospital in Belgrade, Serbia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study involved 42 (60%) randomly-chosen nurses of both genders worked fulltime in the surgery unit in KBC "Dr. Dragiša Mišović“ in Belgrade. The data were obtained using the unstandardized questionnaire regard to pain.
Results: The mean duration of experience at the clinics was 13.6 years. The majority of nurses (about 71%; 30/42) have only secondary medical school. In everyday practice about 35.7% (15/42) of nurses do not record pain. Only 7.1% (3/42) nurses report pain in special pain list. About 36% (15/42) of participants consider that ``fentanyl in form of patch is use for acute or both acute and chronic pain. About 28.6% (12/42) of participants believe that coxibe often cause ulcerations or haemorrhage in stomach.``For 50.0% (12/42) nurses hepatotoxicity is a side effect of ibuprofen or acetylsalicylic acid. The majority of nurses (38/42; 90%) attitudes that analgesics in the postoperative pain should be administered during the first 24 hours according to a specific schedule. About 10% (4/42) of nurses consider that in postoperative pain analgesics should be given only when a patient request or when a nurse estimate pain. 
Conclusions: Current results of the pilot study indicate that it is necessary to develop education on pain treatment for health professionals in Serbia. Development of multidisciplinary pain teams could be beneficial for patients with pain.

KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF PAIN ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT AMONG NURSES IN SERBIA