Introduction
One of the problems that nurses of medical institutions often encounter is pressure ulcers that appear in patients with a long course of treatment. The need to stay for a long time in a horizontal position, insufficient quality of the surface of the bed, as well as improper skincare, can cause their emergence. As an option for the plan, it is possible to consider the intervention of separate wound care teams and also study the relevant literature to verify the effectiveness and validity of this method.
Change Model Overview
The evidence-based practice process is the organization of wound care teams that can help to prevent and treat patients’ pressure ulcers caused by various reasons (Moore, Webster, & Samuriwo, 2015). This model should be used by nurses since its effectiveness, and possible benefits are described in some scientific studies. The fact is that the tasks of such wound care teams include the constant monitoring of patients’ condition, including the provision of timely care and the use of modern methods of treatment. If this approach is justified and efficient, perhaps it will become common in many clinics for resuscitation patients, as well as those who have to spend a long time in bed.
Scope of the EBP
The problem that is connected with the evidence-based practice process applies to all medical facilities. The urgency of this issue is proved by the fact that pressure ulcers obtained as a result of a continued stay on a horizontal surface in permanent state cause damage to the skin and sometimes lead to severe pathologies. According to Abrahamyan et al. (2015), the complexity of pressure ulcers and the extension of chronic diseases that result in long-term treatment, have caused an increase in the number of patients with this problem. The authors note that in the past few decades, the number of people at risk of ulcers has more than doubled (Abrahamyan et al., 2015).
The junior medical staff is directly involved in this work. Moreover, the issue worries not only nurses who have to monitor the condition of patients but also doctors. As for a broader impact on the system of healthcare, pressure ulcers require rather expensive and complicated treatment (Tran, McLaughlin, Li, & Phillips, 2016). Therefore, the relevance of the problem is an object of research of not only medical and nursing staff but also the administration of medical institutions.
Stakeholders
As potential participants of a wound care team, it is necessary to select a few experienced specialists who have repeatedly faced this problem and can provide patients with qualified and timely assistance. Such a group should necessarily include an experienced physician, a dermatologist, a charge nurse who can always be near, and about three or four incoming nurses. If desired, it is possible to include a novice nurse in the team so that she could obtain the necessary experience in caring for such patients and subsequently apply it in practice.
Responsibility of Team Members
The participation of all the above-mentioned members plays a significant role in achieving a positive result of work. A physician is likely to know a lot about the cases connected with pressure ulcers. His or her participation in a wound care team is necessary due to the experience gained during long-course patients’ treatment. The role of a dermatologist is to monitor the skin condition of patients and react to all the changes. A charge nurse should control the work of nurses on duty and an intern.
Evidence
As the proof of the effectiveness of these wound care groups, an analysis of the literature studied during the writing of the work is presented, and the article “Wound-care teams for preventing and treating pressure ulcers” written by Moore et al. (2015) was used as the main work. Some position statements were found during the research. The ultimate merits of the paper include the full disclosure of the stated topic, as well as possible ways to improve the theoretical basis for a particular issue.
Summary of the Evidence
A significant reduction in the level of pressure ulcers in patients can be achieved through the active partnership of a physician and a team (Coffey, Fry, Cardenas, Wing, & Skinner, 2015). Patient education, the availability of support from a particular hospital’s administration, as well a proper wound care treatment contribute to improving the current situation connected with many sick people suffering from ulcers (Abrahamyan et al., 2015). A multidisciplinary patient-centered approach is a key method to develop a fully-organized system of appropriate and quality treatment (Tran et al., 2016).
Recommendations for Change Based on Evidence
The article, taken as a basis for the research, contains insufficient information about the effectiveness of wound care teams in fighting against the occurrence of pressure ulcers. Accordingly, it is necessary to study additional scientific sources that contain detailed information on the implementation of particular treatment methods and the quality of the approach used. As possible literature, the papers by Coffey et al. (2015), Abrahamyan et al. (2015), Tran et al. (2016), and Broder, Chau, Bodor, & Yourman (2015) were used.
Translation
Action Plan
First of all, it is necessary to study the theoretical basis of the selected articles for the research and also determine which of them contain accurate information, and which present more general data. Further, it is necessary to identify the participation of all stakeholders and decide what role each team member should play. It is also required to develop an approximate plan, according to which the participants will be trained. Approximately, the time of the project implementation is about two weeks.
Process, Outcomes Evaluation, and Reporting
The work aims to achieve full mutual understanding among team members and find relevant literature sources that contain reliable and valid information on the implementation of a particular method for treating patients with pressure ulcers. The evaluation of the results of the work will be performed according to real indicators and positive changes in the treatment process. The data on the application of the project results will be submitted to the management in the form of statistical analysis and comparison of previous and current results.
Identification of Next Steps
The introduction of the proposed work plan is possible not only within the local limits of a particular hospital but also on a larger scale. Structural units of other medical institutions, where there is also a problem with an impact of ulcers on their patients’ health, can use the work plan. It is possible to track information about treatment statistics in an electronic medical database to verify the effectiveness and regularity of its use.
Dissemination of Findings
The dissemination of findings within an organization can take the form of reports to management. Outside of a particular hospital, it is possible to participate in scientific conferences and present the data obtained as a result of the research. The potential success of the implementation of the reviewed project can be brought to the heads of other medical institutions.
Conclusion
Thus, the review of the additional literature with necessary theoretical and practical justification for the effectiveness of the introduction of wound care teams is an entirely logical and reasonable method. The organization of work should take place in strict accordance with a pre-established plan. All project participants should be selected carefully. The introduction of the research results is possible not only at the local hospital level but also on a more global scale.
References
Abrahamyan, L., Wong, J., Pham, B., Trubiani, G., Carcone, S., Mitsakakis, N., … Krahn, M. (2015). Structure and characteristics of community-based multidisciplinary wound care teams in Ontario: An environmental scan. Wound Repair and regeneration, 23(1), 22-29.
Broder, K., Chau, D., Bodor, R., & Yourman, L. (2015). Skilled nursing facility/plastic surgery interdisciplinary team approach: Utilizing inter-professional collaboration and innovative telemedicine technologies to provide comprehensive wound care across the healthcare continuum. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 16(3), B22.
Coffey, M., Fry, L., Cardenas, L. A., Wing, W., & Skinner, M. (2015). An interdisciplinary approach to pressure ulcer reduction. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 16(3), B18-B19.
Moore, Z., Webster, J., & Samuriwo, J. (2015). Wound-care teams for preventing and treating pressure ulcers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (9), 1-22. Web.
Tran, J., McLaughlin, J. M., Li, R., & Phillips, L. (2016). Prevention of pressure ulcers in the acute care setting: New innovations and technologies. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, 138(3S), 232S-240S.