Assessment of Registered Nurses’ Knowledge of Pressure Injury Prevention and the Impact of Training Recency: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: This study evaluated nurses’ knowledge of pressure injury (PI) prevention in adult care settings using the Pressure Injury Prevention Knowledge (PIPK) tool, designed to measure prevention-focused knowledge. The study aimed to identify gaps in practice, as knowledge deficits remain insufficiently explored despite existing training programs. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to April 2025 at a public hospital in the Makkah region of Saudi Arabia, involving registered nurses in adult care units. A two-part questionnaire was administered to collect demographic and professional information, including recent training exposure, and to assess PI prevention knowledge using the PIPK tool. Nurses were grouped according to the recency of their training, and comparative analysis was performed to evaluate differences in PIPK scores between these groups. Results: A total of 194 registered nurses participated, with 52.57% having 5 to 10 years of clinical experience. Slightly more than half had received recent formal training on PI prevention, while fewer engaged in self-directed learning. The average PIPK knowledge score was 72%, below the 75% sufficiency threshold. Nurses trained within the past year scored significantly higher than those trained over two years ago, indicating that recent training is linked to better knowledge of PI prevention. Conclusion: The PIPK questionnaire, developed from international PI prevention guidelines and originally validated in Spanish, showed response patterns in this study comparable to the original validation. Nurses’ knowledge was found to be below the sufficient threshold, indicating a gap that may hinder consistent preventive practices. These findings highlight the importance of contextual validation of assessment tools and the need for updated training programs. Notably, nurses trained within the past year scored significantly higher, emphasizing the role of continuous education and guideline updates in strengthening prevention practices. Keywords: pressure injuries, patient care, prevention strategies, nurses training, pressure injury prevention knowledge, nurse education, hospital-acquired pressure injuries