Title : Pressure ulcer prevention knowledge, practices and their associated factors among nurses in gurage zone hospitals, south Ethiopia, 2021
Abstract:
A pressure ulcer is a localized skin injury and underlying tissue, usually as a result of friction or pressure against the surface of the skin. The global mortality rate of pressure ulcers was above 60% for hospitalized patients who wait one year of hospital stay. Nurses are the primary responsible body and forefront line care provider for the prevention of pressure ulcers, so nurses knowledge and practices are the major rollers to handling this preventable problem.
Objective: To assess pressure ulcer prevention knowledge, practices, and their associated factors among nurses in Gurage Zone Hospitals, South Ethiopia, 2021.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Gurage Zone hospitals from May to June 2021. Data were collected using a structured self-administered paper questionnaire from 372 participants using a simple random sampling procedure and collected data were checked for their completeness and entered into Epi-data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis.
Results: In this study, 176 (49%) of nurses have good knowledge and 210 (58.5 %) of nurses have good practices. Variables having masters and above [AOR=2.075CI; (1.886, 4.861)], using guideline [AOR=1.617CI; (1.017, 2.572)], and cooperativeness of patients [1.859CI; (1.066, 3.242)] was significantly associated with nurses prevention knowledge. Being divorced [AOR =3.002 CI; (1.023, 4.219)], degree nurse [AOR=2.639CI; (1.388, 3.051)], workload [AOR=0.480 CI; (0.245-0.939)], unproportioned nurse to patient ratio [AOR=0.480 CI; (0.158-0.747)], patient cooperativeness [AOR=1.859 CI; (1.066-3.242)] and nurses having good knowledge [AOR=1.684CI; (1.078-2.632)] statistically significant with prevention practices.
Conclusions: The overall level of pressure ulcer prevention knowledge and practice of nurses were good. Qualification of nurses degree and above, use of pressure ulcer prevention guidelines, over workload, unproportionate nurse to patient ratio, and patient cooperativeness were statistically significant factors for pressure ulcer prevention knowledge and practices. Therefore, health managers should provide continuous professional development, and ensure proportionated nurse-to-patient ratio allocation policy.
