The skin tears knowledge among geriatric ward nurses and associated factors: A cross-sectional study

To determine the level of knowledge about skin tears among geriatric ward nurses and identify associated factors.

In this cross-sectional study in Southwest China, 1172 geriatric ward nurses from 10 hospitals participated. Data were collected using Sojump, a Chinese web-based platform, and the Skin Tear Knowledge Assessment Instrument was used to assess their knowledge. The analysis involved descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression.

The study involved participants with an average age of 36.73 (SD = 6.54) years. More than half of the participants had less than 10 years of experience in geriatric wards. 27 % specialized in wound care, and 68.1 % lacked specific training in skin tear (ST) knowledge. Additionally, 82.7 % of geriatric nurses had never been exposed to guidelines on ST prevention and management. In the geriatric ward, 36.6 % of nurses received training in ST prevention. The average knowledge score about Skin Tears (STs) was 9.52 (SD = 2.39) out of 18. 'Treatment' had the lowest mean score, while 'Specific patient groups' had the highest. The multiple linear regression analysis found that nurses' knowledge of STs was influenced by sex(β = 0.096, P < 0.001), educational level(β = 0.062, P < 0.001), participation in ST (β = -0.193, P < 0.001 and wound care training(β = -0.120, P = 0.004), and specialization as a wound care nurse(β = -0.350, P = 0.001). These factors explained 61.3 % of the variance in knowledge about STs among the participants.

The geriatric ward had limited knowledge of STs. To improve their skills in dealing with STs, managers should provide tailored training to nurses and establish a standardized, evidence-based nursing process.