Objective(s): The study aimed to assess the level of nursing performance and practices in terms of approaching or
distancing itself from the optimal performance criteria universally adopted within the variable dressing surgical
wounds of patients admitted to the surgical wards, and determine the relationship between the level of nurse's
performance and socio-demographic characteristics of them in those wards.
Methodology: A descriptive assessing design was adopted from November the 10th, 2010 until June the 1st, 2011 to
assess the nursing care provided practices for the postoperative period within the variable dressing surgical wounds in
the complex of Medical City. Whereas the study was conducted in three hospitals; Baghdad Teaching Hospital, ALShahid
Ghazi Hariri for surgical specialties, and nursing home hospital. A Purposive "non- probability" sample
consisting of (55) nurses from those who working in surgical wards at the time of data collection. The data were
collected after adapting AL-Ajloni questionnaire by the researchers that is dedicated to the purposes of the study and
composed of two major parts; the first part includes the page of socio-demographic data which contains (6)
paragraphs, and the second one includes the page of the major components of the study which contains (4) domains
in (39) sub-domain. The validity of the questionnaire was determined by (7) experts in the specialty field. While, the
reliability of the questionnaire was determined by calculating the correlation coefficient (Pearson), which was
statistically acceptable value (r = 0.86). Data were collected through direct observant approach by the mean of the
designed practice checklist. Thereafter, the data were analyzed through the application of descriptive analysis
measures (frequencies and percentages), as well as weighted arithmetic mean and Pearson correlation coefficient by
using (SPSS) Version 16.
Results: The findings of the study indicated that academic nurses had performed adequate practices relative to
postoperative wound dressing than practical ones. All nurses regardless of their gender had performed almost at the
same level of practices relative to postoperative wound dressing. Older nurses demonstrated inadequate practices
concerning postoperative wound infection precautions. The quality of nurse's performance regarding postoperative
dressing procedure was strong positive relationship with level of education. Nurses who had participated in training
sessions performed the same practices of others without it.
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Nurses' practices and postoperative wound dressing
Recommendations: standards practice guide lines should be available for every nurse in hospital; furthermore strict
nosocomial infection control precaution should be followed by health care providers. In addition thorough advanced
training courses should be available for nurses dedicated in its nature toward standards ideal safe practice