Assessment of the knowledge of nurses from surgical wards and primary health care about the importance of proper nutrition in a patient with a chronic wound – preliminary study

Introduction
The nutritional status of a patient has a direct impact on the course and outcome of treatment. Early identification of malnourished patients allows for rapid nutritional intervention, which may improve their overall condition and help to optimise planned therapy. Nurses, whose knowledge and experience in this area can be crucial in the diagnostic and therapeutic process, play a special role here. The aim of the study was to assess nurses’ knowledge and competence in nutritional counselling and to find out their opinions on the importance of nutrition in chronic wound management.

Material and methods
The study included 70 nurses from surgical wards and primary health care. A questionnaire survey was used. Assessment of the respondents’ competence in nutrition education was measured using a 5-level Likert scale.

Results
The nurses’ level of knowledge was satisfactory. The statistical analysis showed that nurses who received training in wound care during their postgraduate education rated their competence in the area of nutritional education of a patient with a chronic wound better (χ2 = 5.927845, p = 0.0149). It was also shown that primary care nurses were more likely to pay attention to the quantity and quality of the patient’s food intake (χ2 = 5.876543, p = 0.0153). 68.57% of respondents stated that the diet of a patient with a chronic wound has a definite influence on the course of treatment.

Conclusions
Issues concerning the nutrition of patients with chronic wounds should be an indispensable part of the education of nurses at all stages of pre- and postgraduate education.