Proceedings of The 6th International Conference on Advanced Research in Education, Teaching and Learning
Year: 2022
DOI:
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Nurses’ literacy on fall prevention in hospitalised patients
Susana Batista, Rosa Martins, Nélia Carvalho, Ana Andrade, Carlos Albuquerque
ABSTRACT:
Falls in hospitalised patients represent a serious public health problem and nurses’ literacy seems to be an important dimension in their prevention.
To assess the level of literacy of nurses in fall prevention in hospitalised patients and analyse its association with sociodemographic, socioprofessional variables and professionals’ knowledge about the Portuguese General Directorate of Health Norm 008/2019.
Quantitative, descriptive and correlational study with a cross-sectional focus. The sample is of the probabilistic, accidental and convenience type, composed of 170 nurses. The data collection instrument contains a set of sociodemographic and professional characterization questions, the Falls Literacy Scale developed by Kim, Jeon & Chon in 2015, translated and adapted to the Portuguese population by the authors of this study, and a questionnaire assessing the knowledge about DGS Standard 008/2019 on the Prevention of and Intervention in Falls of Adults in Hospital Care (ad hoc).
It was found that the Literacy of nurses about falls (global factor), is moderate for 43.5%, high for 28.2% and low for equal percentage value. It was also observed that the dimension attitudes towards prevention was adequate for 39.4% of the nurses, slightly adequate for 34.7% and very adequate for 25.9%. The knowledge dimension was high for 28.8%, weak for 25.9% and moderate for 45.3%. The variables associated with fall prevention literacy with statistical significance (p<0.005) were: the professionals’ academic degree, professional title and professional practice in the area of specialisation, in relation to attitudes, and only the length of professional practice in the global factor. It was also found that, in relation to DGS Standard No. 008/2019, 37.6% of the nurses had moderate knowledge and 33.5% had good knowledge. Age was the predictor of knowledge, with younger nurses with better knowledge of the Standard having higher levels of literacy in fall prevention.
Nurses’ literacy in fall prevention is moderate and is associated with some socio-professional factors, which justifies a greater investment both in nurses’ qualification and in the implementation of training programmes, incorporating the strategies and recommendations of the different Health entities.
keywords: Nurses, Literacy, Accidental Falls, Prevention.