NURSING OLDER PEOPLE Pressure ulcer prevention in nursing homes: views and beliefs of enrolled nurses and other health care workers Inge C Buss MSN, RN Doctoral student, Department of Health Care Studies, Section Nursing Science, University Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands Ruud JG Halfens PhD Associate professor, Department of Health Care Studies, Section Nursing Science, University Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands Huda Huyer Abu-Saad PhD, RN Professor, Nursing Research Centre, University Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands Gerjo Kok PhD Professor and Dean, Faculty of Psychology, University Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands Submitted for publication: 28 February 2003 Accepted for publication: 12 January 2004 Correspondence: Ruud JG Halfens Department of Health Care Studies University Maastricht Section Nursing Science PO Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands Telephone: þ31 43 3881572 E-mail: r.halfens@zw.unimaas.nl BUSS IC, HALFENS RJG, ABU-SAAD HH & KOK G (2004) BUSS IC, HALFENS RJG, ABU-SAAD HH & KOK G (2004) Journal of Clinical Nursing 13, 668–676 Pressure ulcer prevention in nursing homes: views and beliefs of enrolled nurses and other health care workers Background. In the Netherlands much attention has been paid to pressure ulcer prevention. National guidelines on pressure ulcer prevention were developed in 1985 and adapted in 1992 at the request of a national organization for quality assurance in health care. Several studies indicate that nurses seem to be insufficiently informed about pressure ulcer preventive activities. There is, however, no infor- mation available about the reasons why nurses seem to be insufficiently informed. Aims and objectives. This study was planned to elucidate the views and beliefs of health care workers (especially enrolled nurses) in Dutch nursing homes about pressure ulcer prevention and about issues related with pressure ulcer prevention. Design. A qualitative study with semi-structured, tape-recorded interviews. Method. Interviews were conducted with enrolled nurses, team leaders, head nurses, staff nurses and physicians. The interviews were coded and analysed. Results. Analysis of the interviews revealed that today’s pressure ulcer preventive activities are very much based on old traditions in nursing. It also showed that enrolled nurses have no intention to change the care they deliver with regard to pressure ulcer prevention. Conclusions. It is concluded that a systematic approach is necessary to change nursing thinking and acting with regard to pressure ulcer prevention. Relevance to clinical practice. This study gives an overview of the views and beliefs of health care workers (especially enrolled nurses) in Dutch nursing homes about pressure ulcer prevention. These views and beliefs can be used as a starting point for effective implementation of guidelines regarding the prevention of pressure ulcers. 668 Ó 2004 Blackwell Publishing Ltd