Nurses' knowledge and practices regarding medical device-related pressure injuries: a cross-sectional study

To assess accuracy of nurses' knowledge and practices regarding medical device-related pressure injuries (MDRPIs) in Türkiye.

This cross-sectional study included 384 nurses who had at least one year of professional experience and were working in hospitals across different regions of Türkiye. Data were collected online between November 2023 and May 2024 using the Medical Device-Related Pressure Injuries Knowledge and Practice Assessment Tool (MDRPI-ASSET).

A total of 89.8% of the nurses reported providing care to patients with medical devices. The most frequently encountered devices were oxygen masks (76.5%), nasal cannulas (74.2%), blood pressure cuffs (68%) and Foley catheters (62%). Nurses' knowledge and practices regarding MDRPIs were moderately accurate, with a mean score of 11.11±4.01 out of a maximum possible score of 21. The lowest score was observed in the preventive interventions subdimension (3.47 out of 7.0). Nurses with ≥10 years' professional experience, those working in hospitals other than private hospitals, those with a master's degree, those who had received education on MDRPIs (particularly through courses) and those who considered themselves competent in preventing and managing these injuries had significantly higher knowledge and practice scores (p<0.05).

The findings indicated that nurses' knowledge and practices regarding MDRPIs were moderately accurate, with particular deficiencies in preventive measures. Updating nurses' knowledge and practices based on evidence-based guidelines through courses and in-service training programmes is essential for ensuring patient safety.