THE KNOWLEDGE OF NURSES BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING ON WOUND CARE WITH NEGATIVE PRESSURE THERAPY IN VIETNAM

Background: Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) therapy is increasingly utilized in hospitals, including those in Vietnam. Adequate nurse knowledge and proficiency in wound care, particularly VAC-treated wounds, are vital for patient care. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate nurses' knowledge before and after VAC training at our institution. Materials and Methods: A comparative analysis was conducted on 238 nurses from 13 clinical departments at our institution. Nurses' knowledge was assessed before and after a training course. Pre-training and post-training assessments were performed immediately after the course and again 2 months later. Results: Prior to training, nurses had a mean knowledge score of 10.18 ± 2.31, which significantly increased to 28.86 ± 8.41 after the training program (p<0.001). Most nurses lacked sufficient knowledge of VAC therapy initially, but a substantial improvement was observed post-training. Conclusion: Nurses' understanding of VAC therapy improved markedly following training, emphasizing the importance of continuous education to ensure patient safety and enhance care quality. Ongoing training programs are essential to equip nurses with updated knowledge for efficient and safe patient care.