Background: Critically ill children require serious consideration whether in medical, surgical
or trauma- related fields. Pressure ulcer are a challenging problem in the care of medically complex
children. Nurses are dedicated to the prevention and management of pressure injuries. Aim of the
study: Was to assess nurses' performance regarding preventive measures of pressure ulcer among
critically ill children at pediatric intensive care units. Research design: A descriptive research design
was used to conduct the current study. Settings: The study was conducted at pediatric intensive care
units of Benha University Hospital and Benha Specialized Pediatric Hospital. Subjects: A convenient
sample of 100 nurses and a purposive sample of 50 children were selected from the previously
mentioned settings. Tools: Data was collected by using three tools, Tool (I): A structured
interviewing questionnaire format to assess personal characteristics of nurses and children and assess
Nurses' knowledge regarding pressure ulcer prevention, Tool (II): Braden Q Risk Assessment Scale,
It was used to predict pressure ulcer risk for critically ill children and Tool (III): Observational
checklist to assess nurses' practice regarding pressure ulcer prevention. Results: Most studied nurses
had poor level of knowledge regarding pressure ulcer, incompetent practices towards prevention of
pressure ulcer. Conclusion: There was a positive statistically significant correlation between total
nurses' knowledge and total practices regarding preventive measures of pressure ulcer.
Recommendations: Pediatric nurses should update their knowledge and practice about preventive
measures of pressure ulcer through training, educational program, workshops and empower nurses to
apply preventive measures of pressure ulcer assessment and urgent intervention in work areas. |
