A systematic and psychometric review of tests measuring nurses' wound care knowledge

Abstract

Wound care is an important realm of nurses' clinical responsibilities, and a broad knowledge and range of skills are needed to perform efficient and safe patient care. Nurses' knowledge on this matter can be measured using knowledge tests. This study aims to identify, define, and analyse the knowledge tests developed for the measurement of nurses' wound care knowledge, and to evaluate the psychometric properties of the tests. This study was a systematic literature review. A total of 52 studies and 18 instruments were found. Of the 18 instruments, only 5 had been used more than once and were successful in a psychometric evaluation. These five instruments were analysed on the basis of their psychometric properties by using Zwakhalen et al.'s (2006) psychometric testing framework. According to the analysis, the Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test (PUKT) and the Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Assessment Tool (PUKAT) were the most valid and reliable instruments for measuring nurses' wound care knowledge. Most of the instruments identified and analysed focused on pressure ulcers, indicating that future instruments could focus more on other types of wounds or on wound care in general in order to receive a broader understanding of nurses' wound care knowledge.

Content Validity and Reliability of the Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test and the Knowledge Level of Portuguese Nurses at Long-Term Care Units: A Cross-Sectional Survey

“…According to a recent systematic literature review [33], of the 18 instruments available, only five had been used more than once and were successful in a psychometric evaluation. The Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test (PUKT) and the Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Assessment Tool (PUKAT) were the most valid and reliable instruments for measuring nurses' wound care knowledge [33].…”

Areas of nursing competence in acute wound care: A focus group study

“…This indicates that the students might have received more teaching on surgical wound care than other types of wound care. However, as stated in the introduction, previous research on registered nurses' general competence in acute wounds is scarce, because most of the studies on professional competence have focused on chronic wound care ( Kielo et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Research has also shown that nursing students felt that they did not receive enough education about wound care during their studies ( Kielo et al, 2019 b) and that when they graduated, they did not feel confident in providing wound care ( Stephen-Haynes, 2013 ). Furthermore, most of the previous studies on wound care competence among registered andnursing students focused on pressure ulcers, so there is limited empirical evidence of nursing students' competence in acute wound care or general wound care ( Kielo et al, 2020 ).…”

Assessment of Nurses knowledge toward Postoperative Wound Care at Al-Diwaniya Teaching Hospital

“…these caring of wound more information and competence, and the care should be based on the evidence available and up-to-date knowledge. With complete awareness , both skill of care and patient privacy can be improved; and when evidence-based interventions are implemented in skills performance , it is possible to reduce the costs of management (2,3) . Clinical Nurses play an important role in the restricted of wound infection and the progressive of healing through the dressing.…”