Attitude of nurses and nursing students towards preventing pressure injury: A relational cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aim: This study aims to measure the attitude of senior nursing students and practicing nurses toward preventing pressure injury and to provide recommendations for improving the necessary education based on their feedback. Methods: A descriptive-cross-sectional relationship-seeking design was used. 229 nurses and 93 senior nursing students were included in the study. The study data were collected using the “descriptive characteristics questionnaire form” and “attitude towards pressure injury prevention scale”. Results: The attitude scores of nurses for the prevention of pressure injury were 26.98 ± 3.33 and 25.52 ± 3.64 of the nursing students. The scores of the sub-dimensions of the attitude towards pressure injury prevention scale of nurses and nursing students were examined and showed that the nurses obtained the highest score from the “priority” dimension, and the lowest score from the “effectiveness of prevention” dimension. Conclusions: It is necessary to raise awareness first to develop a positive attitude towards pressure injury prevention. The curriculum for nurses and nursing students should be reviewed and the identified knowledge gaps should be filled with effective teaching methods. More topics should be covered in hospitals, classrooms, and labs through simulation or clinical practice.