Aim:

To identify the instruments for measuring the knowledge of nursing professionals about pus. The specific objectives are: a) to summarize the psychometric properties (validity and reliability) of each instrument and b) to synthesize the knowledge on prevention according to the selected studies.

Methodology:

Narrative review on knowledge about PU prevention. Search in 10 bibliographic databases from the beginning of indexation until July 2018. The studies included were quantitative studies that used instruments, tests or questionnaires, which quantified the knowledge of professionals or nursing students. A descriptive synthesis was carried out.

Results:

90 articles were selected, from which 7 instruments were identified (or some variation of the original questionnaire) that have been used in at least 2 published studies and 31 investigations, which have developed ad hoc instruments. The 2 most used tools are the Pieper Pressure Ulcer Knowledge (PPKUT) questionnaire and the Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Assessment Tool (PUKAT) questionnaire. Not all published instruments show data on psychometric reliability and validity. Among the 31 studies that describe an ad hoc instrument, only in 5 of them reliability and validity data are shown. Although some studies used Clinical Practice Guidelines as a source for item elaboration, there are many others that are based only in literature review; modified some previous instruments or did not indicate the original source. The knowledge described in the different studies, in general, are below the cut-off point established by the authors.

Conclusions:

Measuring the knowledge on PU prevention of health professionals is important as a first step in injury prevention programs. A large number of the questionnaires found have any proof of reliability or validity; nevertheless they have been used in studies, which contribute to the generation of irrelevant data and to create confusion. It is essential that researchers use questionnaires with good psychometric properties and these properties should be evaluated again in the sample used in the research.

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