This study reports on a literature review about child postoperative pain management by nursing professionals, in the period from 1993 to 2005. Three themes were identified: factors influencing nurses' management of child pain, interventions to relieve child pain, and nurses' assessment and response to children's pain experience. Child pain management is a complex act that involves elements of the dimensions related to the children themselves, health professionals and family members. The lack of studies in this area reveals the need for research, with a view to (re)considering pediatric nursing care.