Educational campaign to increase knowledge of pressure ulcers

BACKGROUND: A pressure ulcer (PU) steering group was set up in Zhongda Hospital in China to develop a campaign to increase knowledge of PUs, to improve management and reduce incidence. METHOD: Questionnaires were completed by 275 nurses to ascertain their knowledge of PUs. The initial questionnaire indicated that the nurses had insufficient knowledge of PUs. The steering group then ran a campaign focusing on standardising the management of PUs. The measurement of PU knowledge for all nurses was tested after 2 years of training. RESULTS: After 2 years, the nursing staff's knowledge of PUs had improved. Usage of the Braden scale had risen from (60.0±22.9) to (88.0±9.0) and showed a statistically significant difference (p<0.01). Moreover, the rate for patients reported as being at high risk of developing a PU had increased from 0.98% in 2012 to 1.24% in 2013, while the occurrence rate of PUs in the hospital had decreased from 0.09% in 2012 to 0.05% in 2013. CONCLUSION: The campaign significantly enhanced the knowledge of PUs and improved the ability of nursing staff to evaluate PU risks, resulting in a decrease in the occurrence of PUs.