The incidence of pressure sore at Hospital Osvaldo Cruz (Sao Paulo, Brazil) was 14,6%. This fact justified a pressure sore prevention program. The nursing staff training program consisted in theory-and-practice classes about turning patients and massage of the lay face of the body. A month after, the incidence was 20%. Only six of these patients had been turned. The authors conclude that the knowledge of how to turn patients isn't enouth for preventing pressure sores and the nurses have failed to select the patients that need turning schedule. The outhors suggest that the staff adopt a standard risk estimation for pressure sore risk development and a standardization of hour of the day-patient position schedule throughout the hospital, thus facilitating supervision.