Pressure injury prevention knowledge in nursing professionals

Pressure injuries represent an important health problem in Spain, which affects all levels of care. Within nursing care, the prevention of this type of injury is considered a priority activity in which nursing staff have a primary role. Therefore, knowing the possible training needs allows planning and directing resources towards those areas where there is a greater knowledge deficit.

To assess nursing professionals' knowledge of pressure injury prevention guidelines.

A descriptive cross-sectional study using the Pressure Injury Prevention Knowledge Questionnaire (PIPK), self-completed by nurses working in the Salamanca Health Area (Spain) between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024.

A total of 164 respondents participated (89 % women), mean age 36 years and mean professional experience of 13 years. Of these, 132 nurses work at the University Hospital of Salamanca and 29 nurses work in primary care. The average global Knowledge Index was 85.2 % and the Ignorance Index was 7.78 %. Professionals with postgraduate or specialized nursing training (P = 0.003) and more years of experience (P = 0.004) achieved higher knowledge scores on the PIPK questionnaire, with consistent results across all services.

The level of knowledge of the nurses in the Salamanca Health Area is appropriate in relation to published literature.