Analysis of the Current Status of Nurses’ Knowledge of Pressure Injuries and Factors Influencing It in Shaanxi Province, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Pressure injuries are present in all healthcare environments and not only pose a significant health risk to individuals but also impose a heavy economic burden on society and families. Nurses, as the primary caregivers responsible for the prevention and management of pressure injuries, have knowledge that directly determines the incidence of pressure injuries.
Aim: To understand the current status of nurses’ knowledge of pressure injuries in Shaanxi Province and the factors influencing it.
Design: A cross-sectional survey.
Methods: In April - May 2022, 16,599 nurses from hospitals at all levels in Shaanxi Province were selected as survey subjects by convenience sampling method. They were surveyed using the general information questionnaire and the Pieper-Zulkowski pressure injury Knowledge Questionnaire through the Questionnaire Star platform.
Results: 16,599 nurses had a pressure injury knowledge score of (44.32± 10.11). Wound description and pressure ulcer staging dimensions were less than 60% correct. Comparison of pressure injury knowledge scores of nursing staff with different genders, hospital levels, titles, education, whether they were specialized nurses in wound stoma when they last attended a lecture on pressure ulcers, when they last read literature or books on pressure ulcers, and whether they ever looked for information about pressure ulcers on the Internet showed that the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05), which were the influencing factors of the knowledge scores of the nursing staff in Shaanxi Province.
Conclusion: Clinical nurses’ awareness of stress-related injuries still needs to be improved, and nursing administrators can improve the quality of pressure-related injury care by increasing nursing staff’s awareness through continuing education, tiered training, and other measures.