Use of a Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test in Brazilian Studies

International guidelines for pressure injury prevention and management recommend the assessment of professionals’ knowledge using valid instruments. A Portuguese version of a pressure ulcer knowledge test was developed to evaluate nurses’ knowledge about staging, description and prevention of pressure injury in Brazil. The test has 41 items and has been validated to represent professional practice in Brazilian health institutions. The responses are: true, false or “Do not know” (NK). The total score is obtained by tabulating the number of correct answers. The aim of this study was to perform an integrative review of research done in Brazil that used Portuguese version.  Literature searches were done for the years 2010 to 2017 at Virtual Health Library from PAHO/WHO and on Scholar Google. Twenty-three articles were found; however, seven were excluded because the authors did not use the complete version of the test. Analysis of the 16 publications revealed that seven had registered nurses (RN) (n=431) as subjects; seven had RNs (n=241) and nurses assistant (NA) (n=523); one had 23 BSN students and one had RN, NA and other members of health’s team: RN (n=5), NA (n=41), physical therapists (n=4) and physicians (n=6). The mean correct score for RNs ranged from 21-34.8; for the NAs, 26-32.3; and for BSN students, 25.6. As in other international studies, items with the lowest proportion of correct answers were related to interventions recommended to minimize pressure, positioning the patient at a 30º angle in a side lying position, and frequency of repositioning patients in bed or in a chair. Using a knowledge test was the first step of many educational programs in Brazil to evaluate knowledge of nurses and other health care persons about pressure injury. Continued education of health care personal and linking knowledge to performance are needed.