The effect of knowledge levels of intensive care nurses about pressure injuries on their attitude toward preventing pressure injuries

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the current knowledge levels of intensive care nurses about pressure injuries and their attitudes toward preventing pressure injuries, and to reveal the relationship between these variables.

Materials and methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 152 nurses, working in the Adult Intensive Care Units of a Training and Research Hospital. Data were collected between 10.08.2021 and 31.11.2021 with the Patient Information Form, Modified Pieper Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test and Attitude toward Pressure Injury Prevention Scale. Frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, multiple logistic regression analysis and the structural equation modeling technique were used in the analysis of the study data.

Results: The mean age of the nurses was 25.82 ± 3.42 years, 86.2% of them were female and 67.1% of them had a bachelor's degree. Total mean score of the Modified Pieper Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test of the intensive care nurses was found to be 32.58 ± 6.58. The knowledge score of 113 out of 152 nurses was ≥60% or above. The total mean score of the Attitude toward Pressure Injury Prevention Scale was 42.00 ± 5.70 and a total of 76.97% (117 participants) of them were found to score 75% or above on the scale. The results of the regression analysis showed that educational degree, and status of having training about pressure injuries did not affect the total mean score of the Knowledge Test and the Attitude Scale. However, it revealed that the frequency of encountering a patient with pressure injuries in the unit where they work has affected the total mean score of the scales significantly (p < 0.05). As per the results of the structural equation model, the Modified Pieper Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test scores of the nurses were found to have a statistically significant effect on the scores of the Attitude toward Pressure Injury Prevention Scale (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: This study revealed that intensive care unit nurses had a positive attitude toward Pressure Injury Prevention and their knowledge was sufficient and that as the Modified Pieper Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test scores increase, their positive attitude toward Pressure Injury Prevention also increases.