Assessing nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices for pressure injury prevention

• Main Authors: Shahadan, Siti Zuhaidah, Mohd Supian, Nur Alya, Mohamad Ismail, Mohamad Firdaus
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malaysian Nurses Association 2023
• Subjects: RT82 Nursing As A Profession
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/113614/1/113614_Assessing%20nurses%27%20knowledge%2C%20attitudes%2C%20and%20practices%20for%20pressure%20injury%20prevention.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/113614/; https://mna.org.my/jomna.php

Background: Pressure injuries are a widespread healthcare concern that significantly burdens patients, family members, and caregivers. Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding preventing pressure injuries among nurses are three crucial factors that may reduce the incidence of pressure injuries. Purpose: This study aims to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice level regarding preventing pressure injuries among nurses in the medical and surgical wards at a university Hospital in Malaysia. Methodology: A total of 109 nurses participated in this cross-sectional study. Results: The nurses demonstrated a high mean ±sd percentage for knowledge (84.9% ± 11.05), a positive attitude (95.7% ± 5.73), and effective pressure injury prevention practices (72.1% ± 7.30). The result also indicates a significant weak correlation between the nurses' level of knowledge and practice regarding pressure injury prevention. Conclusion: This study showed that nurses understand pressure injury prevention, have positive attitudes, and follow recommended practices. However, knowledge alone may not strongly influence pressure injury prevention attitudes and practices. Hence, future research should identify ways to close the gap, such as educational programs, interdisciplinary collaborations, and quality improvement initiatives, so that translation of pressure injury prevention knowledge into practice can improve patient outcomes and ensure a high standard of care.