Certification and education: do they affect pressure ulcer knowledge in nursing?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether wound care certification and education affect nursing knowledge. This study examined pressure ulcer knowledge among registered nurses who were (1) certified in wound care, (2) certified in specialty areas other than wound care, or (3) not certified in any specialty area.
DESIGN: A convenience sample of 460 nurses, located in both urban and rural areas, provided demographic information and completed a standardized pressure ulcer knowledge test using (Pieper Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Tool).
RESULTS: The mean standardized test score for the total sample was 78%, with nurses certified in wound care scoring 89%, nurses certified in specialties other than wound care scoring 78%, and nurses receiving no certification scoring 76.5%.
CONCLUSION: Wound care certification and education significantly affect nursing knowledge.