Purpose: This study was done to identify the types of pain identification made by nurses caring for patients with dementia in nursing homes. Method: To collect the Q-population, 12 nurses working in nursing homes were interviewed. From the collected data, 69 statements were derived and eight patterns of pain identification were categorized. Thirty statements were derived as the Q-sample. Thirty nurses were sampled as the P-sample. The 30 Q-cards with Q-statements were Q-sorted by the P-sample. The results of the Q-sorting were coded and analyzed using the PC QUANL program. Results: Five types of pain identification were identified by nurses for patients with dementia living in nursing homes; Type 1 was named "estimating based on verbal expressions". Type 2 was named "reasoning through physical symptoms". Type 3 was named "confirming pain based on nonverbal expressions being consistent with conditions of physical function". Type 4 was named "empathizing with vocal expressions". Type 5 was named "confirming by comparison with objective pain indicators one by one". Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that comprehensive understanding of pain identification by nurses could help improve the assessment of pain in patients with dementia.