Nurses' Proficiency and Preventive Measures for Pressure Ulcers in Unconscious Patients

Abstract

Objective: The study aims to find out the level of proficiency and practice of nurses about pressure ulcer prevention among unconscious patients.

Study Design: A descriptive study
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Basrah Teaching Hospitals in Al-Basrah
Governorate (Basra Teaching Hospital, Al-Fayhaa Teaching Hospital and Al-Sadr Teaching Hospital). The study
started on the 1st of October, 2024, and lasted until the 15th of March, 2025.

Methods: The sample of the study consists of 40 nurses who work in the intensive care units. Data were collected throughout the utilization of the adopted questionnaire by self-administered information and observational checklists. The questionnaire is composed of Ten items related to nurses' knowledge and Ten items for practice toward pressure ulcer prevention. The reliability of the instrument was 0.80 by using Cronbach's alpha, and the data analysis was conducted using statistical methods, which include descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: The findings of the present study revealed that most nurses (62.5%) know a moderate amount about
preventing pressure injuries in unconscious patients, while (37.5%) know very little, and none of them know
(MS±SD = 1.77±0.781).

Conclusion: The study concluded that there is no significant relationship between nurses' (age, sex, education level, and years of experience) and their proficiency and practice about Pressure Injury Prevention among Unconscious Patients.