Pressure ulcers, commonly known as bedsores, used to be regarded as an unfortunate but sometimes unavoidable result of hospitalization. The skin on vulnerable body parts with little protection such as heels, hips, shoulders, and tail bones can break down as bedridden patients remain in the same position for too long.
Fortunately, all that is changing, thanks to new understanding about how to prevent pressure ulcers. At The Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, a Mentor Hospital for pressure ulcer prevention in the 5 Million Lives Campaign, a dramatic reduction in pressure ulcers has saved patients from this painful and sometimes dangerous condition and saved the hospital millions of dollars that would otherwise have been spent treating this injury.
Alan Didier, RN, Manager of the Burn Unit, Hyperbaric Unit and Wound Ostomy Services, says that the effort has been comprehensive and has involved dozens of dedicated clinicians. Months of hard work by a multidisciplinary committee led to the development of a customized data collection tool for skin surveys, evidence-based changes to policies, complete revision of skin care plans, mandatory skin care education for nurses, and the enhancement of a skin champion role.
Now, when comprehensive skin surveys identify patients at risk for skin breakdown, nurses have many options, including the use of computerized, customized care plans to maintain the patient’s skin integrity. “We used to have a care plan compliance rate of 14 percent for patients at risk for skin breakdown,” says Didier. “Now we are at 98 percent because we’ve empowered the nurses with tools and knowledge, without adding more paperwork to their already busy day.”
06/01/2008
