Introduction. Postoperative pain relief in patients after surgery is a key component of nursing care. Professional care should be performed at the highest standards, with consideration of patient’s individual needs. Alleviation of pain is one of the most important elements in the process of modern treatment. The concept of nursing care quality in the context of pain relief quality by Eva Idvall assumes that effective postoperative pain relief is not only a measurable decrease in pain symptoms, but also an improvement of patient’s comfort and overall satisfaction with post-operative care. Aim. The aim of this research was evaluation of nursing care in cases of postoperative pain. Material and methods. In the survey participated 112 patients classified to hip replacement surgery and arthroscopy in sudden or planned cases. The research was executed between July 2012 and January 2013 on the casualty and orthopeadic ward in Chodzież. The anonymous survey and Polish version of The Scale of Clinical Quality Indicators in Postoperative Pain Management were used as a method in this research. The score rate for the general outcome is 14–17 points. The level of 63 points is considered to be the minimum for proper nursing care. In the survey there were used additional questions about pain intensity and patient’s satisfaction. Results. The general result of the research was 61.79 points. Trust and Environment were rated especially high. The lowest points received Comunication and Action. Conclusions. The research indicated that the level of care was average which suggests the need of monitoring and improvement. Good hospital conditions and friendly atmosphere raise patients’ trust and make recovery easier. Professionalism of the nursing team, implementation of patients’ education can help to improve quality of nursing care in surgery wards.

Key words: pain, quality of nursing care, orthopeadic surgery, The Scale of Clinical Quality Indicators in Postoperative Pain Management.