Educational Needs of Intensive Care Unit Nurses Regarding Medical Device‐Related Pressure Injuries: A Cross‐Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Medical device-related pressure injuries (MDRPIs) are common in intensive care units (ICUs) and can cause patient harm when prevention, detection or management is inadequate. Device-specific education for ICU nurses is essential to support evidence-based MDRPI prevention and management. AIM: To identify ICU nurses' perceived educational needs related to MDRPIs by years of clinical experience and to examine domain- and content-specific needs by medical device type. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among nurses working in eight adult ICUs at a 1200-bed tertiary hospital in South Korea. The questionnaire assessed demographics, prior MDRPI education and perceived learning needs across eight domains. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the Kruskal-Wallis test with Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc comparisons. Open-ended responses were analysed using supplementary qualitative content analysis to complement the quantitative results and to categorise educational needs by device type and care domain. RESULTS: Of the 94 participants, 77 (81.9%) were female, with a mean age of 30.2 years. Although 64 (68.1%) had received general pressure-injury education, only 38 (59.4%) reported MDRPI-specific training. Nurses with ≥ 10 years of experience reported higher educational needs in assessment and documentation (median 5.0, range 3.0-5.0) compared with those with < 5 years (median 4.0, range 3.0-5.0) and 5-10 years of experience (median 4.0, range 3.0-5.0; H = 7.99, p = 0.018). Device-specific gaps were most frequent for nasogastric tubes, respiratory devices and endotracheal tubes. Overall, 76 domain-specific educational needs were identified. CONCLUSION: ICU nurses reported unmet educational needs, particularly in device-specific assessment, prevention and management. Higher learning needs among experienced nurses suggest that current education does not fully address MDRPI prevention in critical care. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Integrating device-focused, scenario-based MDRPI education into professional development may enhance clinical judgment, reduce preventable injuries and improve patient safety in ICU environments.