Knowledge of Pressure Ulcers Amongst Nurses and Associated Factors: A Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACT

Pressure injury represents a significant but preventable health problem, especially in clinical settings characterised by a high degree of risk. Despite the critical role played by nurses in pressure injury prevention, evidence suggests that inconsistencies remain concerning their knowledge and skill levels. This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge amongst nurses regarding pressure injury prevention and the factors associated with this level. The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 346 nurses reached through convenience sampling. The research data were collected online using the nurse descriptive form and the Pieper–Zulkowski Pressure Injury Knowledge Test, accessed through a Google Forms link shared on various social media platforms between December 2023 and February 2025. Most of the 346 nurses who participated in the study were female (89.0%), and the mean age was 36.19 years (±8.52 years). Most participants had a bachelor's degree (76.8%), and 35.6% had more than 20 years of professional experience. The pressure injury knowledge test score of the nurses was 43.00 (10.50). There was a significant difference in knowledge scores between clinical units (p = 0.009); the highest scores were found in nurses working in high-risk units (e.g., operating theatre) (p = 0.029). The study demonstrated that the implementation of unit-specific, practise-based training programmes is imperative to enhance nurses' knowledge. It is suggested that future studies utilise a combination of methods in order to address the individual, environmental and organisational factors that have a bearing on knowledge levels.