title: Knowledge about medications and products to prevent and treat pressure ulcers: a cross-sectional survey of nurses and physicians in a primary health care setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report on a study of what primary care nurses and physicians know about medications and healthcare products to prevent and treat pressure ulcers.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers has generally become the responsibility of the nursing staff; this has resulted in studies of nurses' knowledge of this task, although few studies include physicians in their analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey conducted in North Girona (Province) Primary Care Services from February to April 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study questionnaire had three sections: sociodemographic data, questions about division of responsibility for the care of patients with pressure ulcers or at risk of developing them, and 36 statements based on the recommendations in clinical practice guidelines provided by well-recognised national and international institutions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-one nurses (64·8%) and 46 physicians (36·8%) responded to this study. Nurses had greater responsibility for the care of pressure ulcers, made greater use of medical prescriptions to obtain supplies if not available in the primary care centre, were more familiar with the site's clinical practice guidelines on the topic and showed better adherence to their recommendations. Nurses also had better knowledge than the participating physicians of the use of medications and healthcare products to heal or to prevent pressure ulcers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses had sufficient knowledge and more appropriate skills than the participating physicians for the prescription of medications and healthcare products for the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data demonstrated that nurses have sufficient knowledge and skill to provide wound care and could safely write these prescriptions, although Spanish law permitting nurse prescription is not fully implemented.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Department, University of Girona, Girona, Spain. angel.romero@udg.edu
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romero-Collado
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Homs-Romero
authors.forename: Edurne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zabaleta-del-Olmo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses'; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Spain; attitudes; health knowledge; nurses; physicians; practice; prescriptions; pressure ulcer; primary health care