FOURTEENTH ANNUAL EUROPEAN PRESSURE ULCER ...

Thursday September 1st
Proceedings of the 14th Annual European Pressure Ulcer Meeting
Oporto, Portugal
Pressure ulcer prevention in Ghana – What is the nurses’ knowledge?
Amanda Jönsson 1* , Erica Engman 2
1* Red Cross University College, Sweden, erica.engman@hotmail.com
Introduction
Although Pressure ulcer is common in high and middle
income countries it is rarely researched in low income
countries. Evidence based interventions of pressure
ulcer prevention are developed but the gap between the
evidence and the clinical practice is wide. The Aim of
this study is to describe the nurses’ knowledge about
pressure ulcer prevention at a provincial hospital in
Ghana.
Methods
An empirical qualitative approached was used and
semi-structured interviews were made with nurses at
the Kwahu Governmental Hospital in Atibie, Ghana.
The interviews were then analyzed using a content
analysis and a deductive content analysis. In addition
the material was compared against categories made
out of the evidence based nursing interventions
suggested by the North American Nurses Association
(NANDA)[1].
Results
Table 1: The themes and categories found
Themes
Categories
PRESSURE ULCER
PREVENTION
Pressure
Mobilization
Friction and shear
Moisture
Cleaning
Massage
Patient education
Caregiver education
Risk patients
Risk areas
Documentation
Nutrition
NURSES
KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge
achievement
Opinion about
achieved
knowledge
84
Discussion
The themes Pressure ulcer prevention and Nurses’
knowledge were found. Most of the evidence based
interventions were mentioned by the participants. Thus
the participants explained massage as a preventive
intervention although the evidence advice against
massage. The participants did not mention any
interventions considering documentation and nutrition.
Further the nurses explained that they achieved their
knowledge in school by practical demonstrations and
examinations. The nurses’ opinion was that their
knowledge is enough to prevent pressure ulcers.
Clinical relevance
Competent nurses are one of the most important
resources to build up the hospital care in a country
This study gives a view of the knowledge nurses in a
low income country possess, but also a sense of what
to improve for the nursing care on pressure ulcer
prevention to be fully evidence based.
Acknowledgements
We appreciate the help of Lotta Lundberg and Lars
Strömberg att the Red Cross University College. We
also thank Mrs. Osabutey at the Kwaho Midwifery
Nurses’ School and Dr. Osabutey and all the staff at
Kwaho Governmental Hospital for making this study
possible.
Conflict of Interest
References
[1] Author A. et al., J. Tissue Viability. 10:1-10, 2009
[2] Author B. et al., J. Wound Care. 11:155-7, 2007
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