Introduction
Pressure ulcers are a common condition for patients who require long hospitalization. The primary force of prevention for pressure ulcers is the nursing staff of the hospital. Pressure ulcers develop due to pressure being applied to an area of a person’s body over a long period of time. To combat this development, a number of regular procedures can be introduced. This paper will outline an educational plan for hospital nurses with the desired outcome being a reduction in the occurrence rate of pressure ulcers.
Type of Health Promotion
The worksite for this educational plan is a hospital. A variety of health promotion methods may be utilized in a hospital. They may include approaches that are focused either on the patients or the staff. Due to the nature of the condition, it would be most fitting to choose a method that is focused on the education of the staff. Through a series of training sessions, all of the nurses in the hospital should become aware of prevention methods and fulfill the goal of health promotion.
Literature Review
The issue of pressure ulcers became relatively prominent in recent years due to a sudden increase in its occurrence rate. While pressure ulcers were a common condition throughout history, they were often prevented in modern medicine. However, the situation began to change as hospitals and clinics across the United States began to report an increase in pressure ulcer cases. The primary cause for the development of pressure ulcers is long hospitalization. Due to a prolonged period of forced immobility, the areas of the patient’s body that carry their weight become potential zones for pressure ulcer development. Their consequences may be severe as the muscle tissue can start to deteriorate, leaving painful wounds that require additional medical assistance to be treated. The experience is exacerbated if the patient is suffering from burns, or other skin conditions, as the painful sensations become amplified. In addition, people from various ethnic backgrounds may experience a higher level of risk. However, the intervention and prevention measures for pressure ulcers are relatively simple. By applying special salves and solutions on the patient’s body, these issues can be resolved and prevented (Black et al., 2015; Byrne et al., 2016; Call et al., 2013).
Educational Plan
The educational plan for this health promotion program is relatively simple. It consists of four training sessions separated into lecture and practice parts. During each session, a trained professional would explain the importance of pressure ulcer prevention, and how it can be achieved through simple and regular procedures. Then the participants would practice the procedures to gain a better understanding of them. The practice would then become regular to ensure that pressure ulcer occurrence rate reduces.
Theoretical Knowledge
Examined literature suggests that application of five-layer silicone bordered dressings such as Mepilex Border Sacrum and 3 layer Mepilex heel dressings can be an effective preventative measure for pressure ulcers. Through a series of randomized control studies, case studies, and cohort studies, the application of these dressings has shown a positive effect in 90% of participants. The strength presented evidence shows this solution to be valid (Black et al., 2015; Byrne et al., 2016; Call et al., 2013).
Intervention
The intervention for pressure ulcers is a regular application of silicone dressings on the sacrum, buttocks, and heel areas of the high-risk patients. This group includes people being treated for burns, patients that require prolonged hospitalization, and patients from Hispanic, and African American ethnic backgrounds (Black et al., 2015; Byrne et al., 2016; Call et al., 2013).
Costs, Barriers, Time-Frame, Evaluation
The costs for the educational program are expected to be low, because it will be performed internally, with little outside participation. The dressings are already being stocked by the hospital but are not able to be used efficiently due to a lack of proper procedure. Therefore, they would not affect the cost of the program. The main barrier is the time of the nursing staff. To overcome it, careful consideration of everyone’s time needs to be performed. The time-frame for the program is a month, with each week having a single two-hour session. The results will be evaluated by comparing the occurrence rates before and after the educational program being implemented.
Educational Method
The educational method would combine two common techniques. The first is a lecture. It would be used to deliver the theoretical portion of the health promotion. The second is high-fidelity simulation during which the nurses would be asked to apply dressings to prevent the occurrence of ulcers. The combination of the two methods would allow for a complete understanding of the prescribed material and its application.
Conclusion
The issue of pressure ulcers can lead to harmful effects for patients. To avoid them, a routine practice of dressing application should be performed for high-risk patients. By educating the nursing staff on the importance of such procedures, the incidence rate of the condition should be reduced. Hospitals are designed to improve patient conditions. Therefore, issues like pressure ulcers should be categorically prevented by the hospital staff. The prevention procedures are simple, and there is no reason why they should not be commonplace in all hospitals across the United States.
References
Black, J., Clark, M., Dealey, C., Brindle, C. T., Alves, P., Santamaria, N., & Call, E. (2015). Dressings as an adjunct to pressure ulcer prevention: Consensus panel recommendations. International Wound Journal, 12(4), 484–488.
Byrne, J., Nichols, P., Sroczynski, M., Stelmaski, L., Stetzer, M., Line, C., & Carlin, K. (2016). Prophylactic sacral dressing for pressure ulcer prevention in high-risk patients. American Journal of Critical Care, 25(3), 228–234.
Call, E., Pedersen, J., Bill, B., Black, J., Alves, Brindle, C. T., … Clark, M. (2013). Enhancing pressure ulcer prevention using wound dressings: What are the modes of action? International Wound Journal, 12(4), 408–413.