Evaluation of Intensive Care Nurses' Skin Tear Knowledge.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the skin tear knowledge of intensive care nurses who care for surgical patients.

Methods: This study was conducted among intensive care nurses working in a training and research hospital and caring for surgical patients. Data were collected face-to-face using the Demographic Data Collection Form and the Skin Tear Knowledge Assessment Instrument.

Results: Participants were primarily women (66.7%), and most (71.3%) had a bachelor's degree. The mean age of the participants was 30.01 ± 2.49 years, and the mean years of intensive care experience was 6.29 ± 2.76 years. No significant relationships were found between the scale scores of the participants and age, sex, education status, or whether they had received training on skin tears. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between years of intensive care experience and experience caring for patients with skin tears and OASES (Skin Tear Knowledge Assessment Instrument) total scale score. The analysis revealed that years of intensive care experience had a significant positive effect on the scale total score.

Conclusions: This study revealed that nurses had a moderate level of knowledge about skin tears and that intensive care experience and status of caring for patients with skin tears were important factors influencing skin tear knowledge.