Nurses' use of water-filled gloves in preventing heel pressure ulcer in the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

This cross-sectional descriptive survey examined use (knowledge, perception and practices) of water-filled gloves (WFGs) by nurses in the prevention of heel pressure ulcer (PU) in the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria. Participants were 250 purposively selected nurses working in the Neurosciences and Surgical units. Quantitative data were generated through the administration of a semi-structured questionnaire, whereas the qualitative data were collected through in-depth interview. Hypotheses were tested using chi-square analysis at a significance level of 0.05, whereas the manual content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. Results showed that a significant number of nurses at UCH, Ibadan, were knowledgeable about WFGs and actually used them in their clinical practice. Years of experience in clinical practice was found to be significantly related to knowledge and use of WFGs in heel PU (chi(2) = 41.677; DF = 5; P = 0.001). Nurses with adequate knowledge of risk factors in the development of PU used WFGs more than those who were not aware (chi(2) = 44.907; DF = 3; P = 0.009). Nurses' perception about WFGs was also significantly related to its use (chi(2) = 4.527; DF = 1; P = 0.033). Although knowledge level and perception of WFGs and its use by nurses was fairly adequate, continuous education for practicing nurses should be encouraged in resource-limited settings.