Introduction: Nursing students in internship programs can play a role in preventing pressure injuries as they engage in real clinical situations and are assigned to conduct clinical tasks. Thus, nursing students in internship programs should be adequately prepared in terms of their knowledge and attitudes to contribute to pressure injury prevention.
Objective: To explore and understand the knowledge and attitudes of nursing interns toward pressure injury prevention in Saudi Arabia.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 161 nursing interns from various public hospitals across three provinces in Saudi Arabia and used an online questionnaire. The Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Assessment Tool and Attitude toward Pressure Ulcer Prevention instrument were used to collect data from nursing students in the internship program. The Statistical Package of the Social Sciences Program version 28 was used for the data analysis.
Results: Participants reported inadequate knowledge regarding the prevention of pressure injuries, with a mean knowledge score of 48.15%. Additionally, the participants showed unsatisfactory attitudes toward the prevention of pressure injuries, with a mean score of 61.36%. Significant differences were observed in knowledge (P = 0.008) and attitude (P < 0.001) levels between sexes, with female participants scoring higher than male participants. Additionally, students who completed longer internships had better knowledge levels than those who completed shorter internships (P = 0.007). In the open-response question, participants reported a lack of preparation and support during the internship and suggested recommendations to address these deficiencies in preparation and support.
Conclusion: Nursing interns need pre-internship preparation and continuous learning and support during the internship to manage and prevent pressure injuries.
Keywords: attitude; knowledge; nursing students; pressure injury.
© The Author(s) 2024.