BACKGROUND Pain is a common problem affecting the wellbeing of nurses. This study investigated physical pain of nurses and their pain self-management in mainland China. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 2458 full-time nurses working in 18 hospitals across mainland China were studied from May 2016 to July 2016, of which a total of 1269 nurses (51.63%) experienced pain during the duration of this study. RESULTS Of the nurses reporting pain, most had general chronic pain (936 cases, 73.8%). Many nurses also had moderate to severe pain (904 cases, 71.2%). Another type of pain that was common was back and lower-limb pain (740 cases, 58.3%). Of the diagnosable symptoms, lumbar spondylosis was the most prominent, with 258 cases (33.1%). Nearly 50% of the nurses reported that their lives and sleep had been disrupted by pain, and 33.9% of the subjects are unsatisfied with their level of self-management of pain. Only 13.4% said that they would seek formal medical attention after feeling pain. Multivariate logistical analysis showed that factors such as the level of the hospital, years of experience, and shift schedule have a strong correlation with the incidence of pain among nurses. CONCLUSIONS The main cause of pain among nurses in mainland China is occupational factors, and the current status of this problem is not satisfactory.