Knowledge and Practices of Preventing Pressure Ulcers

Pressure ulcer is defined by the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) and the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) as "localized skin and/or skin, usually arising over bony prominences, caused by pressure alone, or by a combination of shear and pressure. subcutaneous tissue damage. Pressure ulcer is a painful, costly and preventable health problem that is frequently encountered especially in geriatrics group and in patients with limited daily activities or bedridden. It is an undesirable health care problem that is difficult to treat, but it is possible to prevent the development of pressure ulcers with the measures to be taken from the beginning of the disease. In order for nurses to fulfill their role in preventing pressure ulcers, the content of undergraduate education programs needs to be arranged in a way that will provide them with knowledge and skills in the prevention of pressure ulcers, diagnosis of risky patients and maintenance of care. In Northern Cyprus, knowledge and skills related to pressure sores are provided to students in the basic nursing education curriculum. However, the subject of pressure ulcer in the education programs of nursing schools differs in terms of content and duration, and most of the hospitals do not have a standard guide and training program for the prevention of pressure ulcers. In Northern Cyprus, studies on the knowledge and practices of nursing students to prevent pressure ulcers are limited. According to the results of a study conducted in Turkey, it has been reported that a significant portion of nursing students have a positive attitude towards preventing pressure ulcers, but their general knowledge about preventing pressure ulcers is insufficient. In another study, it was reported that 70.7% of nursing students encountered patients with pressure ulcers during hospital practices, but research findings and the knowledge of nursing students to prevent the development of pressure ulcers were insufficient.