Nurses' attitudes, behaviours and perceived barriers towards pressure ulcer prevention.

BACKGROUND

Pressure ulcers are not a plague of modern man; they have been known to exist since ancient Egyptian times. However, despite the increasing expenditure on pressure ulcer prevention, pressure ulcers remain a major health care problem. Although nurses do not have the sole responsibility for pressure ulcer prevention, nurses have a unique opportunity to have a significant impact on this problem.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The specific aims of the study were to identify: * Staff nurses' attitudes towards pressure ulcer prevention. * The behaviour of staff nurses' in relation to pressure ulcer prevention. * Staff nurses' perceived barriers towards pressure ulcer prevention.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey method was used.

METHODS

A randomly selected sample of staff nurses (n = 300) working in an acute care setting in an urban location was invited to participate. Data were collected using a prepiloted questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 10 and SPSS Text Smart version 1.1.

RESULTS

The nurses surveyed demonstrated a positive attitude towards pressure ulcer prevention. However, prevention practices were demonstrated to be haphazard and erratic and were negatively affected by lack of time and staff. These barriers prevented the nurses' positive attitude from being reflected into effective clinical practice. Education, although poorly accessed, or made available, was rarely cited as impeding practice in this area.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that positive attitudes are not enough to ensure that practice change takes place, reinforcing the complex nature of behavioural change. Implementation strategies should introduce ways in which key staff can be empowered to overcome barriers to change.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

This study provides a unique exploration of Irish nurses' attitudes, behaviours and perceived barriers towards pressure ulcer prevention, thereby contributing to the body of knowledge on this subject. As tissue viability is a new and emerging speciality, this information will contribute to evidence based practice in this area of patient care and will form the basis for the development of an educational strategy for pressure ulcer prevention and management.