Intensive care nurses' knowledge regarding medical device-related pressure injuries and factors affecting these: A...

Nurses play a fundamental role in preventing, treating, and reducing the incidence of medical device-related pressure injuries (MDRPIs). Therefore, assessing their level of knowledge on this subject is of utmost importance. The aim of this study is to determine intensive care nurses' levels of knowledge regarding medical device-related pressure injuries and factors affecting these.

This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 156 intensive care unit (ICU) nurses between October 2023 and March 2024. Data were collected using the Nurses Information Form, Medical Device Related Pressure Injury Knowledge Assessment Test (MDRPI-KAT).

The nurses had a mean score of 9.05 ± 2.54 on the MDRPI-KAT, indicating an overall correct answer percentage of 56.5 %. It was determined that nurses scored the highest in the sub-dimension of "Selection and Suitability of Medical Devices" (87.5 %) and the lowest in the sub-dimension of "Special Patient Groups" (29.5 %). The total MDRPI-KAT score for female nurses is 1.031 times higher than that of male nurses (B = 1.031, p = 0.013). Additionally, nurses with a high school, bachelor's, or postgraduate level of education have a higher total MDRPI-KAT score compared to those with an associate degree (β = 2.393, p = 0.003; β = 2.114, p = 0.005; β = 3.101, p = 0.001). Furthermore, the total MDRPI-KAT score of nurses who believe that a nursing care protocol is necessary for the prevention of MDRPIs is 1.309 times higher than that of those who do not consider it necessary.

This study found that ICU nurses' knowledge regarding MDRPIs were insufficient. We identified gender, education level, and the perceived need for a nursing care protocol for the prevention of MDRPIs as variables that influence nurses' level of knowledge. To enhance nurses' knowledge about MDRPIs and ensure the provision of safe and high-quality skin care, we recommend that intensive care nurses receive continuous and practical training on MDRPIs. This should include innovative educational methods such as simulations and case analyses, as well as the organization of online courses and webinars.