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Informational/Educational Report
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Building a successful pressure ulcer prevention program Judy Plemmons, RN, BSN, CWOCN, CDE, Lewis Gale Medical Center and Gentiva, Roanoke, VA Hospitals, home care agencies and long term care facilities must have a strong pressure ulcer prevention program. Pressure ulcers are no longer thought of as an unfortunate occurrence but rather can translate to many families as suboptimal care. JCAHO and other accrediting agencies look at the incidence rate of pressure ulcers as an indicator of how well the facility functions as a team. Putting together an evidence based program can be a mammoth task that battles the traditional approach at every step The current literature was explored. The author looked at how behaviors are changed, how PU prevention programs have maintained success over time, and basic adult learning principles. Since no current literature existed regarding surface comparison, a comparison study was performed. A plan was written with long and short term goals and a time line. Skin fairs, newsletters, documentation audits, product selection and bulletin boards were all part of the plan that can be shared in the form of a poster. The success of change implementation was measured through quarterly prevalence and incidence studies. Surprisingly the tool for measurement, P&I studies had a positive impact. By increasing the P&I studies to quarterly, the message was sent that skin integrity was a priority. This data as well as visualization kept the team of management and the nursing staff commonly focused. One person being the figurehead for the program as the literature stated was necessary proved to be true. .One can learn from a ÒpackagedÓ program as a poster presentation that was based on evidence and current literature. A successful outcome (from a double digit incidence rate to maintaining an incidence rate of <2%) was achieved. Loan LA, Jennings BM, Brosch L, DePaul D. Indicators of nursing care quality: findings from a pilot study. Outcomes Manage. 2003;7(2):51Ð58 Moore SM, Wise L. Reducing nosocomial pressure ulcers. J Nurs Admin. 1997;27(10):28Ð34 Rithalia S, Kenney L. Evaluating support surfaces. Available at: http://www.healthcare.salford.ac.uk/crhpr/staff%20profiles/Dr%20Laurence%20Kenney.html. Accessed: July 6, 2003. |
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