Cultural and religious beliefs that influence nursing students’ knowledge of and attitudes towards pain management: Qualitative insights

· Pain management is influenced by patients’ cultural and religious beliefs. · First Saudi qualitative study shows how beliefs shape nursing students’ pain care. · Supports integrating culturally and religion-sensitive pain education in nursing curricula. Cultural norms and religious beliefs can play a significant role in shaping perceptions of pain and its treatment, influencing both patient expectations and nursing care. Limited research has explored how nursing students’ understanding and management of pain is influence by Islamic cultural and religious factors. While the overarching aim of this study was to explore the factors that influence Saudi nursing students’ knowledge of and attitudes towards pain management, this paper focuses specifically on cultural and religious factors. This study adopted a qualitative descriptive design. Twenty third- and fourth-year nursing students from four public universities in Saudi Arabia participated in semi-structured interviews conducted through an online interview platform. The data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis outlined by Braun and Clarke. Findings identified nursing students’ perceptions of how cultural and religious beliefs shape patients’ experiences of pain and its management. This study highlights the complex interplay between Saudi nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes towards pain and the cultural and religious beliefs that shape the experience of pain. Understanding these influences is essential for developing targeted educational strategies that promote culturally sensitive care.