Predicting Pressure Injury Prevention Education by Acute Care Nurses Within 24 h of Hospital Admission: A Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACT

Aim

Predicting medical/surgical nurses' delivery of patient pressure injury prevention education within 24 h of hospitalisation.

Design

A cross-sectional sub-study drawn from a larger multisite randomised controlled trial.

Methods

A consecutive sub-sample of 300 randomly assigned control group participants was recruited from 20 medical and surgical wards at two major hospitals (July 2020 to August 2023) in Queensland, Australia. Semi-structured observations and chart audit data were collected, including patient education, demographic and clinical data. Binary logistic regression identified hospital site, clinical and patient predictors contributing to pressure injury prevention education delivery by nurses.

Results

Seventeen (5.7%) participants received pressure injury prevention education within the first 24 h of admission. Body mass index was an independent predictor, increasing the odds of nurses delivering patient education.

Conclusion

Few episodes of pressure injury prevention education were observed in this study. As a patient's body mass index rises, they are more likely to receive preventative education from nurses soon after admission.

Implications for Practice and Policy

Our findings underscore the need for standardised inclusive protocols and ongoing nurse training to assess and address education needs beyond single risk factors like body mass index. Further research should explore other factors influencing patient education delivery in hospitals.

Reporting Method

This study adhered to STROBE guidelines. Dr. Brett Dyer, statistician, is part of the author team.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.