Background: Venous leg ulcers (VLUs), the most common type of leg ulcerations, have long healing times and high recurrence rates; reimbursement rules and a general shortage of nursing staff have put self-treatment into focus. The study aimed to investigate why and how patients with VLUs self-treat their ulcers. Methods: Patients with VLUs (N = 32) were selected by criterion sampling for a multicentric qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analyzed via inductive qualitative content analysis. Results: More than two-thirds of participants sometimes self-treated VLU and one quarter changed their prescribed treatment. Experiences were expressed through four themes as follows: (a) current local VLU therapy; (b) VLU self-treatment; (c) patient education; and (d) psychosocial issues. The main reasons for self-treatment were a lack of healthcare resources, reimbursement restrictions, and dissatisfaction with conventional treatment together with insufficient knowledge about the wound-healing process and possible side effects. No educational materials were provided for patients or caregivers. Many patients adopted homemade remedies. Conclusion: Patients with VLUs practice self-care due to limited healthcare availability, a low awareness of the causes of their condition, and the effects of therapy on VLU healing. Future educational intervention is needed to enhance self-treatment.

Background: Although patients with venous leg ulcers are involved in ulcer management, little is known about why and how these patients self-treat their ulcers without direct supervision by health professionals. Yet patients’ knowledge of ulcer management can be important for achieving ulcer closure and/or preventing recurrence. This study thus investigates the effects of an educational intervention on knowledge of self-care among patients with venous leg ulcers, mainly on wound dressing practice, compression therapy, physical activity and nutrition. Methods and participants: This research was conducted in three outpatient hospitals in central Croatia. An educational brochure was made and distributed to patients; patients were surveyed about caring for venous leg ulcers before the brochure was distributed and after 3 months. Results: In total, 208 patients were involved in the study: 112 in the experimental group and 96 in the control group. The educational intervention increased awareness of compression therapy, knowledge of recurrence prevention, appropriate lifestyle habits, and warning signs related to venous leg ulcers. Conclusions: Patient education on illness and self-care is necessary to achieve positive effects in self-care knowledge. In this study, patients learned how to change dressings, learned how to improve their lifestyle, and were empowered to deal with their illness.

Background: Understanding and preventing pressure ulcers is a key aspect of healthcare, with nurses playing a crucial role in their management and prevention through education and clinical practice to improve patient outcomes. Objectives: This quantitative, psychometric, cross-sectional study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the Pieper–Zulkowski Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test and to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Croatian version of this measurement instrument. Methods: A study was conducted in a state hospital in Šibenik, Croatia, on a sample of 268 participants. Results: The content validity of the instrument, with an S-CVI of 0.981, indicates excellent validity, while its internal consistency is acceptable, as reflected in an overall KR-20 of 0.79. The maximum split-half reliability is 0.87 and Guttman Lambda 6 reaches 0.89, indicating excellent internal consistency. The overall test–retest reliability is excellent (ICC = 0.91), with the Prevention subscale showing the highest reliability (ICC = 0.88), followed by Staging (ICC = 0.86) and Wound Description (ICC = 0.84). Item-level difficulty and discrimination index were also calculated. Conclusions: The adapted, translated, and validated questionnaire represents a valuable tool for measuring knowledge about pressure ulcers among healthcare professionals, suitable for use in Croatian society. This instrument can be used to assess knowledge in clinical settings and evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs, providing valuable insights into the education and professional competence development of healthcare professionals.

Introduction. Nurses’ knowledge can directly lead to treatment outcomes. Aim. To investigate the knowledge and attitudes of nurses regarding chronic wounds and to compare the nurses who participated in the study according to their level of education, years of experience, and place of work. Methods. Anonymous questionnaire about wound care knowledge was completed by 193 nurses with different educational backgrounds in three counties from central Croatia. The study was conducted during lectures organized through plans for continued education. Results. Most respondents had >5 years of experience, are employed in a hospital and have secondary education in nursing. Nurses with secondary education and less than five years of experience had better knowledge regarding leg ulcers. Hospital nurses state that they have insufficient knowledge about wound healing; however, doctors are more accessible to them. Conclusion. This study examined nurses’ knowledge and attitudes regarding wound care. Mixed results indicate the need for further and more detailed research.

Background: Understanding and preventing pressure ulcers are key aspects of healthcare, with nurses playing a crucial role in their management and prevention through education and clinical practice to improve patient outcomes. Objectives: This quantitative, psychometric, cross-sectional study aims to translate and culturally adapt the Pieper-Zulkowski Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test and to evaluate the psy-chometric properties of the Croatian version of this measurement instrument. Meth-ods: A study was conducted in a state hospital in Šibenik, Croatia on a sample of 268 participants. Results: The content validity of the instrument, with an S-CVI of 0.981, indicates excellent validity, while its internal consistency is acceptable, as reflected in an overall KR-20 of 0.79. The maximum split-half reliability is 0.87, and Guttman Lambda 6 reaches 0.89, indicating excellent internal consistency. The overall test-retest reliability is excellent (ICC = 0.91), with the Prevention subscale showing the highest reliability (ICC = 0.88), followed by Staging (ICC = 0.86) and Wound Description (ICC = 0.84). Item-level difficulty and discrimination index were calculated. Conclusions: The adapted, translated, and validated questionnaire represents a valuable tool for measuring knowledge about pressure ulcers, suitable for use in Croatian society. The instrument can be used to assess knowledge in clinical settings and evaluate the effec-tiveness of educational programs, providing valuable insights into the education and professional competence development of healthcare professionals.

Background/Objectives: Formal and lifelong education on pressure injuries enables the acquisition and maintenance of relevant knowledge and represents a key link in ensuring quality and safe care. Critical planning and continuous implementation of education programs directly contributes to better management of these injuries and ensures consistent application of best practices in everyday nursing care. Methods: This study is based on a cross-sectional, quantitative methodology conducted in a state hospital in Croatia, on a sample of 268 participants. Results: Work experience did not show a significant correlation with test scores while the level of education, a master’s degree in nursing, had the highest mean percentages in prevention and overall score. Differences in test performance across department type showed a significant difference for the prevention subscale for neurological department staff. Activities such as reading the professional literature and attending lectures showed a positive correlation with higher scores in different areas of prevention, staging and the overall test. Internet use was positively associated with all subscales and the overall score. Conclusions: Despite the unsatisfactory level of knowledge of the respondents, the positive impact of formal and lifelong education on the existing level of information about pressure ulcers is evident. These findings highlight the need for improvement and better organization of educational programs, with an emphasis on their accessibility, continuity and focus on clearly defined learning outcomes.