KNOWLEDGE AND CLINICAL PRACTICES RELATED TO PERIOPERATIVE PRESSURE INJURIES IN A MIDDLE EASTERN HOSPITAL
Date
2021-12-06
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Abstract
Perioperative pressure injuries (PIs) resulting from inadequate safety precautions when positioning a patient in the operating room (OR) for a diagnostic or surgical intervention, may result in temporary or permanent damage to skin, nerves and organs and are considered an adverse event or a critical failure in patient safety. An injury of this nature may increase a patients’ length-of-stay in a care facility from 5-8 days or longer with increased costs, the risk of facility-acquired (nosocomial) infections and litigation. Knowledge and practice (KAP) of PI prevention and management in OR suites can be influenced by the nurse’s level of experience and education. The aim of this study was to determine the nurses’ and anaesthetic technicians’ knowledge and clinical practice for the prevention of PIs in the OR.
An online self-administered survey was distributed by Stellenbosch University’s internet technology service called SunSurvey using CheckBox©. The total population of nurses (N=45) and anaesthetic technicians (N=10) employed in the OR department in a Middle Eastern hospital were approached to participate. Reliability and validity were verified during the pilot, with nursing experts and in consultation with a statistician.
The Health Research Ethics Committee of the University of Stellenbosch approved the protocol (S20/07/182). Permission was granted from the hospital executives. Informed consent was obtained from the participants online prior to the activation of the survey.
The data was analyzed with the guidance of the statistician on IBM Statistical Product and Service Solutions software (SPSS27©) and are presented in frequencies and illustrated in tables. The sample size was small; therefore, the 2-sided Fisher Freeman Holten exact test was used to determine the differences in proportions, and to identify trends.
The participants knowledge and clinical practice demonstrated a shortfall in two categories of nurses, including the anaesthetic technicians, which may be attributed to the inconsistency of in-service training or continuing professional development opportunities in the research setting. It is recommended that regular training opportunities are developed to enhance or maintain evidence-based knowledge and clinical skills.
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Anaesthetic technicians, clinical practice, knowledge, perioperative pressure injuries, skills