The knowledge and applications of the nursing interventions at the Balcalı Hospital of Medical Faculty of Çukurova University related to they prevention of formation and treatment of pressure ulcer

ABSTRACT The Knowledge And Applications Of The Nursing Interventions At The Balcali Hospital Of Medical Faculty Of Çukurova University Related To They Prevention Of Formation And Treatment Of Pressure Ulcer In this study, the knowledge and applications of the nursing interventions of the nurses working in Balcali Hospital at the Medical Faculty of Çukurova University related to the prevent on of the formation treatment of pressure ulcers are investigated. This descriptive research has included the 372 nurses working Balcali Hospital at the Medical Faculty of Çukurova University. The sample consisted of 100 nurses. Of the nurses 52% had 10-19 years of professional experience, 77% were graduates of Nursing High School/Açık Öğretim Faculty, 35% worked in medical, 38% in surgical clinics and 27% in intensive care units. It was observed that 17% of the nurses had been educated about pressure ulcer outside school, 26% confronted patients with pressure ulcer frequently while 55% had relatively less confrontation. It was also observed that 95% of the nurses thought the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcer should be under the responsibility of a nurse and that 97% pointed out that pressure ulcer required teamwork. Pressure ulcer was observed by 53%of the nurse in intensive care units, by 26% of the nurse in surgical clinics, and by 19.2% of the nurse in medical clinics. Regarding the nursing interventions to prevent pressure ulcer, it was observed that 76% of the nurses applied moisturizers, 31% applied protective gel, and 80% made use of supportive surface, 64% concentrated on skin hygiene and 90% gave priority to the proper frequency of changing the position of the patient. While evaluating the patients who were at a risk of developing pressure ulcer, 97% of the nurses ranked being confined to bed in the first place. Furthermore, 98% pointed out that pressure ulcer developed more frequently in patients confined to bed. It was also observed that 95% of the nurses identified the grade I of pressure ulcer correctly, 76% knew the body parts where pressure ulcer developed according to the position of the patients, and 73% proposed applying massage as an example for nursing interventions to increase blood flow. 81% of the nurses identified the solution should be used for treating the ulcer, 12% declared that the uninfected pressure ulcer does not need to be cleaned with an antiseptic, and 9% pointed out that pressure ulcer should be left uncovered, 87% of the nurses had knowledge concerning the type of diet and 46% knew how to adjust the head/upper part of the patients' bed. Finally, it can be suggested that nurses attend in-service training programs related to this issue and that these programs be supported by printed educational materials. Key Words: Pressure ulcer, Nursing intervention, Prevention, Treatment xiv