KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF NURSING STUDENTS TOWARD POSITIONING IN PERIOPERATIVE CARE IN ACHIEVERS UNIVERSITY, OWO, ONDO STATE

Proper patient positioning is pivotal in perioperative care, assuring optimal surgical outcomes and upholding patient safety. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of perioperative positioning, understand the attitudes, and identify factors influencing positioning choices among nursing students at Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional research design and quantitative method for data collection. Samples of 250 nursing students were obtained with Taro Yamane’s formula and they were selected using a random sampling technique. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. The research questions were addressed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results and findings from this study revealed a significant percentage of respondents demonstrated a high level of knowledge (90%) and a positive attitude (78%) towards perioperative patient positioning. The correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant positive relationship (r ≈ 0.247, p < 0.01) between knowledge and attitudes. This suggests that as knowledge levels increase, attitudes toward perioperative positioning tend to become more positive. Consequently, the null hypothesis indicating no significant relationship between knowledge and attitudes was rejected. In conclusion, the study found that nursing students at Achievers University possess substantial knowledge and positive attitudes regarding proper patient positioning in perioperative care. These findings emphasize the importance of education and training in enhancing perioperative care practices among nursing professionals.