Nursing knowledge and practices regarding placing patients in the prone position: a descriptive study

ABSTRACT

Objective: to describe the knowledge and practice of nursing workers providing intensive care to COVID-19 patients in prone position. Method: descriptive and qualitative study addressing the nursing staff of an intensive care unit (ICU) from a public hospital located in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Results: knowledge was grouped into three thematic categories Nursing care provided before placing a patient in the prone position;Nursing procedures while patients are in the prone position;and Nursing care after patients return to the supine position. Conclusion: the knowledge and practices of nursing professionals concerning the care provided to COVID-19 patients while in the prone position indicate that workers focus on preventing complications and ensuring the patients' wellbeing, recovery, and improved quality of life during hospitalization. © 2022. Online Brazilian Journal of Nursing. All Rights Reserved.