Knowledge, perception and prevention performance of intensive care unit nurses about medical device‐related pressure injuries

Aim and Objective To examine intensive care unit (ICU) nurses’ knowledge, perceptions and prevention performance about medical device‐related pressure injuries (MDRPIs). Background Prevention of MDRPIs has been an important part of nursing care, and there is a limited number of studies on nurses’ level of knowledge or perception about MDRPIs. Design This study was designed as a cross‐sectional survey and conducted according to STROBE Guidelines. Method The data of the study were collected with the Nurse Information Form and the MDRPI Knowledge Assessment Questionnaire. In the first phase, the psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated (content validity, internal consistency and test‐retest). A pilot study was conducted with 20 nurses for the test‐retest phase. These nurses were excluded from the general sample. Results The study was conducted with 142 ICU nurses. The average percent knowledge score of ICU nurses on MDRPIs was 68.4%. In the survey, the highest rate of correct response was found in the expressions about MDRPIs skin assessment (83.6%), and the lowest was in those about follow‐up (50.8%). There was no significant relationship between the total score and age, work experience and specialties (p > .05 for each). However, scores were significantly higher in females than males (65.5 vs. 47.8, p = .020) and in those with a postgraduate degree than those with a bachelor's degree (81.8 vs. 57.9, p = .008). Conclusions Our study demonstrated that nurses do not have sufficient perception of MDRPIs. The findings of the study can be used to improve nursing policies and practices in acute care settings. Additional studies will be needed with nurses and healthcare professionals working in different clinical settings. Relevance to the clinical practice This study demonstrates the nurses’ need for more knowledge about MDRPIs and will help inform healthcare institutions and their management teams in developing programs and improving protocols to reduce the incidence of MDRPIs.