Knowledge and Perception of Nurses on use of Braden Scale in Predicting Patients’ Pressure Ulcer Risks in Selected Hospitals in Ondo State

Abstract

Background: The burden of a pressure ulcers on hospitalized patients is becoming unbearable leading to a prolonged hospital stays. Braden Scale is one of the most intensively studied risk assessment scales used in identifying the risk of developing a pressure injury.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge and perception of nurses on the Braden scale in the prevention of pressure ulcer.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive type of non-experimental design was used for this study to assess the knowledge and perception of nurses on the use of the Braden scale in predicting pressure injury risk. The researcher’s designed questionnaire with the reliability of cronbach alpha value of 0.83 and 0.71 for nurses’ knowledge and perception on Braden scale respectively was used as the tool for data collection.

Results: Results showed that the majority of nurses have good knowledge of Braden scale but had poor perception towards its use in predicting pressure ulcer. The hypotheses revealed that there is no significant relationship between the years of clinical experience of nurses and their knowledge on the Braden scale; p = 1.66. Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between nurses’ knowledge and their perception on the use of the Braden scale in identifying patients at risk of developing pressure ulcer p = .002.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the use of the Braden scale is essential in the assessment of patient at risk of developing a pressure ulcer, hence, nurses should be motivated to use the Braden scale and its printed copies to be made available in each ward of the hospitals in Ondo State.

Keywords: Braden scale, Pressure injury, Risk Nurses, Perception