Knowledge of pressure injury in medical and surgical nurses in a tertiary level hospital: A cross-sectional study

Background: Nurses play a vital role in pressure injury prevention (PIP) but require foundational knowledge to ensure appropriate PIP strategies are enacted. 

Aims: To describe and compare medical and surgical nurses’ knowledge of pressure injury (PI) in a tertiary level hospital in China, and to identify predictors of PI knowledge among these groups. 

Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between June and December 2020. 

Methods: Registered nurses from nine medical and fifteen surgical wards in a tertiary hospital were invited. The survey was composed of two parts; demographic and professional characteristics; and the Chinese translated version of the Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Assessment Tool 2.0 (PUKAT 2.0) where the total score ranged from 0 to 25; higher scores imply more knowledge. Medical and surgical nurses' knowledge test scores were compared using independent t-test. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine factors predictive of nurses’ knowledge. 

Results: In total, 423 nurses from 24 wards participated the study and 404 nurses (95.5%) completed the knowledge test (Surgical n = 236, 58.4%; Medical n = 168, 41.6%). The PUKAT 2.0 mean score was 11.6 ± 3.0 (Surgical 12.2 ± 3.0; Medical 10.7 ± 2.8) with 335 (82.9%) nurses scoring <60%. Multiple linear regression showed working in surgical wards, nurse-in-charge position and previous PI training were significant predictors of knowledge scores. 

Conclusion: Knowledge is a precursor to safe practice. Nurses demonstrated poor knowledge of PIP. Pressure injury related education may help improve nurses' knowledge but the extent to which it is used in place and impacts patients’ outcome requires more investigation.