EBP Prevention of Pressure Ulcers
Essential Ideas
- Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPU) development is listed among the crucial concerns of contemporary health care;
- Seven stages of HAPU (stages I-IV, unstageable, deep tissue injury, and Kennedy terminal ulcer) are typically identified;
- As a rule, the assessment of the entire skin area is carried out to diagnose the problem;
- Braden Scale and the Norton Scale are traditionally used to assess the problem and determine the tools for addressing it;
- Lack of mobility is usually viewed as the key cause of ulcers;
- Individual factors, such as pressure applied to bony prominences (e.g., the coccyx, the heels, etc.) can be prevented by using a turning schedule;
- Length of stay in the ICU may affect the development of HAPU;
- Pulmonary rotation is often used to stop HAPU development;
- HAPU can be prevented by lowering the bed and allowing for a change in the patient’s position (Cooper, 2013).
Developing the Information: Opportunities and Risks
The development of HAPU is among the primary concerns for the healthcare department in most facilities. Although prevention techniques are regularly used, they seem to be rather dated and, therefore, have little effect on the patients’ situation. Therefore, there is a pressing need to introduce new strategies that can prevent the development of HAPU. Particularly, the process of communication between the service members and the patient could use enhancement so that the former could inform the healthcare service employees about the problem. Furthermore, additional tools for enhancing patient’s mobility need to be incorporated into the current ICU design. As a result, the instances of severe HAPU development can be prevented successfully.
Reducing Hospital-Acquired Pressure Ulcers
Key Concepts and Ideas
- Despite the high frequency of its occurrence, HAPU remains a problem area in the contemporary healthcare;
- By evaluating specific risk factors, one may prevent the emergence of HAPU successfully;
- The application of the evidence-based strategies (EBS) as the means of managing the issue can lead to the successful prevention of the phenomenon;
- Regular skin assessments are the first step toward improving the quality of care and avoiding HAPU;
- The strategy involving turning the patients is currently the main means of managing the HAPU issue;
- The SKIN (Skin assessment, Keep turning, Incontinence management, and Nutrition) model is considered the most efficient men of addressing the problem of ulcers;
- The present culture of nursing care, which views HAPU as an unavoidable occurrence needs to be altered so that HAPU could be prevented successfully (Crawford, Corbett, & Zuniga, 2014).
Developing the Information: Adjusting Tactics
The application of the EBS practice, the SKIN principles, and the tenets of the patient-centered philosophy are likely to have a tremendous effect on addressing the problem of ulcers. However, the research carried out by Crawford et al. (2014) shows that the current attitude toward ulcers among nurses needs to be changed so that the new strategy could have a direct effect on the patients’ wellbeing. Nurses have to realize that ulcers can and must be prevented so that the quality of care could increase. For these purposes, the very values and ethics of the healthcare environment have to be changed. Specifically, the significance of professional growth and skills acquisition must be explained to nurses. In addition, the members of the modern healthcare environment must be provided with an opportunity to acquire relevant skills and use them to prevent the issue of HAPU.
Reference List
Cooper, K. L. (2013). Evidence-based prevention of pressure ulcers in the Intensive Care Unit. Critical Care Nurse, 33(6), 57-66. Web.
Crawford, B., Corbett, N., & Zuniga, A. (2014). Reducing hospital-acquired pressure ulcers a quality improvement project across 21 hospitals. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 29(4), 303-310. Web.