Running Head: PREVENTING PRESSURE ULCERS 1
PREVENTING PRESSURE ULCERS 2
Topic: Preventing Pressure Ulcers
Preventing Pressure Ulcers
nixkky- Pressure ulcers, also known as bed sores, are localized damage to the skin and underlying tissues that occurs due to prolonged pressure subjected to the skin, sometimes in combination with friction. Some of the most commonly affected sections are areas of the skin that mostly cover hard parts underlying the heels, hips, coccyx, and sacrum among others including knees, ankles, and elbows and back of shoulders (Cooper, 2013). Bedsores majorly affect individuals with limited motion, a medical condition that inhibits their ability to switch positions. Additionally, it also affects persons who spend most of their time in bed, chair leading to the reduced motion. Pressure ulcers can be prevented and treated when detected early although that might be difficult for people who are critically ill and also with impaired mobility (Qaseem, Mir, Starkey & Denberg, 2015). However, other factors come into play concerning bedsore such as nutrition and understanding the risk factors associated with the condition is essential in its management.
Nixkky-Objectives
1. To identify risk factors or causes linked to the development of pressure ulcers.
2. To identify the impact of the pressure ulcers on patients, caregivers, and the society.
3. To determine effective interventions to prevent and manage pressure ulcers that can be adapted to diverse patient populations.
The progress of pressure ulcers is a distinct area of interest in the healthcare today and an area that requires proper intervention. First, identifying the risk factors associated with the development of bed sores is essential because it is the starting point of understanding the entire reasons that cause the condition to occur and the subsequent course in its development. Interventions. Discovering the cause of a specific condition leads to informed actions to prevent further causes of the disease and the potential impacts.
Second, in addition to the causes of a disease, the demographic characteristic of the population at risk plays a weighty part in discerning the pattern of its spread and the degree of intervention concerning the public health required to control the condition. Therefore, it is imperative to measure the impact of pressure ulcers to the various population in efforts of assessing the intensity to public health and the intervention required. Most importantly, prevention and management of the disease is core in the promotion of public health. Therefore, by determining ways on which to prevent pressure ulcers, it minimizes on the risk factors impacts by developing techniques to reduce disease occurrence.
-Supportive Data
Education programs may help in supporting the overall reduction in the occurrence and prevalence of pressure ulcers by raising proper awareness in levering behavior patterns to the development of the disease. According to a study conducted by Koivunen, Hjerppe, Luotola, Kauko & Asikainen (2018), pressure ulcers occur with noteworthy recurrence especially in acute hospital wards with high risks among the older patients and those who spend most time hospitalized. In fact, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recorded the number of affected persons per year in the United States to be 2.5 million patients who also contributes up to 60,000 deaths annually. As a result, there is a need to transform the management of the disease to one that initiates focus on preventive measures.
-Implementation Strategy
The proposed educational session concerning pressure ulcers is best implemented through healthcare staff education (Blegen, Goode, Park, Vaughn & Spetz, 2013). Porter‐Armstrong, Moore, Bradbury & McDonough (2015) notes that the education of healthcare providers serves an integral component for the prevention of pressure ulcers which must be widely considered in the educational session. In essence, such programs should include factors that reflect on the complex nature of pressure ulcers by covering essential aspects such risk assessment, and preventive interventions that healthcare providers can apply.
-Evaluation strategies
Evaluation is vital in determining the success of an education program. In this case, benchmarking represents one of the tools that can be used to evaluate the educational session provided to healthcare providers on the prevention of pressure ulcers. Additionally, the evaluation also mandates outcome measurement to collect actual performance data for determining the effectiveness of staff education and further advancement that might be necessary.
Challenges and Opportunities
Organizations should consider reviewing best practices that aim at preventing the prior occurrence of pressure ulcers and the subsequent repercussions. Specific challenges arise especially regarding patients who are bed-bound and with a chronic illness which calls for constant intervention (Sullivan & Schoelles, 2013). Nevertheless, they can be assisted through upcoming means such as therapy and nutrition although many opportunities lie in preventing the condition in the first instance. Indeed, prevention programs for the disease that includes promotion of safe and quality healthcare serve best in minimizing pressure ulcers in the acute and long-term care.
Conclusion
Pressure ulcer development presents an critical challenge mainly in acute care hospitals. As the disease continues to pose a healthcare concern, it is agreeable that prevention is the best possible way of intervention. Therefore, since most cases are centered in acute care centers education programs among healthcare providers can remarkably contribute to management and prevention of the disease.
References
Blegen, M. A., Goode, C. J., Park, S. H., Vaughn, T., & Spetz, J. (2013). Baccalaureate education in nursing and patient outcomes. Journal of Nursing Administration, 43(2), 89-94.
Cooper, K. L. (2013). Evidence-based prevention of pressure ulcers in the intensive care unit. Critical care nurse, 33(6), 57-66.
Koivunen, M., Hjerppe, A., Luotola, E., Kauko, T., & Asikainen, P. (2018). Risks and prevalence of pressure ulcers among patients in an acute hospital in Finland. Journal of wound care, 27(Sup2), S4-S10.
Porter‐Armstrong, A. P., Moore, Z. E., Bradbury, I., & McDonough, S. (2015). Education of healthcare professionals for preventing pressure ulcers. The Cochrane Library.
Sullivan, N., & Schoelles, K. M. (2013). Preventing in-facility pressure ulcers as a patient safety strategy: a systematic review. Annals of internal medicine, 158(5_Part_2), 410-416.
Qaseem, A., Mir, T. P., Starkey, M., & Denberg, T. D. (2015). Risk assessment and prevention of pressure ulcers: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Annals of internal medicine, 162(5), 359-369.
