Novel Bed Bath Educational Program for Nursing Students to Acquire Optimal Wiping Pressure

Abstract

　Excessive friction irritation during bed baths poses a risk of causing various skin disorders, and wiping pressure directly affects the quality of care. However, no educational program has taught nursing students the importance of optimal wiping pressure and how to acquire it. This study aimed to develop a novel bed bath educational program that teaches nursing students optimal wiping pressure during bed baths. We recruited 21 second-year nursing students using a one-group pretest-posttest design with a control condition. The subjects participated in a novel educational program based on the experiential learning model one month after traditional lectures and practice. We measured wiping pressure before and after the control and intervention conditions to calculate the acquisition rate of optimal wiping pressure (10-20 mmHg); this rate was then compared between conditions. Additionally, students took a knowledge test after the traditional program, and again after completing the novel program. The novel program was significantly more effective than the traditional program in terms of acquisition rate and test scores. We conclude that traditional descriptions and practice alone are insufficient to understand the optimal wiping pressure. Our findings emphasize the importance of experiential learning, where students were wiped down themselves and directly felt the optimal pressure.