ASSESSING THE LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE ON WOUND DRESSING AMONG NURSING STUDENTS AT ADELEKE UNIVERSITY, EDE, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Wound dressing is a critical nursing duty that requires advanced skills and knowledge to prevent serious complications. It is a sterile procedure integral to patient care, demanding that nurses perform it safely and efficiently. This study assessed the level of knowledge regarding wound dressing among undergraduate nursing students at Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed involving 187 students selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using a self-developed questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that 97.9% of respondents agreed that wound dressing is a sterile procedure, 96.8% identified saline solution as the recommended wound-cleaning agent, and 88.8% recognized redness, swelling, increased pain, pus, and discharge as signs of wound infection. The majority of respondents demonstrated good knowledge of wound dressing. The study concluded that nursing students possessed good knowledge of wound dressing, although a minority were less confident in identifying clinical features of wound infection.