Consistent practices in pressure ulcer prevention based on international care guidelines: A cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Consistent, evidence-based practices are crucial for patient safety and care quality.
• Pressure ulcer (PU) prevention requires adherence to international care guidelines.
• Assessing the consistency of these practices is vital for quality assurance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the consistent use of pressure ulcer prevention practices based on international guidelines.
• To evaluate the validity and reliability of the Pressure Ulcer Prevention Practice (PUPreP) instrument.
• To identify factors influencing nurses' adherence to PU prevention protocols.

Main Methods:

• Data collected from 554 nursing professionals in two Finnish hospital districts (2018-2019).
• Utilized the 42-item PUPreP instrument measuring frequency of PU prevention practices (never, sometimes, often, always).
• Statistical analysis employed to analyze perceived frequencies and influencing factors.

Main Results:

• Pressure ulcer prevention practices were generally reported as used 'often'.
• Repositioning was the most frequent practice; nutrition interventions were least frequent.
• Working sector, education, frequency of PU prevention work, and early PU identification influenced practices.

Conclusions:

• Nurses adhered to evidence-based pressure ulcer prevention practices at a moderate level.
• The PUPreP instrument demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability.
• Further refinement of the PUPreP instrument is suggested for enhanced accuracy and utility.