Reaching for the moon: achieving zero pressure ulcer prevalence

Knowledge and practice of informal caregivers on pressure injury prevention and treatment among patients receiving palliative care

BACKGROUND

Pressure injuries (PIs) are prevalent in palliative care. Lack of knowledge and skills among informal caregivers on PI prevention and management contributes significantly to the occurance or deterioration of PIs.

AIM

The aims of this study were to: (1) determine the level of knowledge and practices of informal caregivers on PI prevention and treatment; (2) explore the socio-demographic characteristics of informal caregivers that influence PI prevention and treatment among patients who need palliative care.

METHODS

The quantitative cross-sectional descriptive design was used to collect data from 146 informal caregivers, and a valid and reliable questionnaire was used.

RESULTS

A total of 146 informal caregivers of patients with PI completed the study. Most participants had a relatively low level of PI prevention, treatment knowledge and practice. Participants who were older than 28 years, working for the government and married had significantly better knowledge and practice of PI prevention and treatment than other participants.

CONCLUSION

Information for informal caregivers in different settings about PI prevention and treatment is needed. Informal caregivers need to acquire more professional practices and knowledge to improve the quality of patient care.

Relationship of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Certified Nurses and Healthcare-Acquired Conditions in Acute Care Hospitals

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to describe the (a) number and types of employed WOC certified nurses in acute care hospitals, (b) rates of hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), and (c) effectiveness of WOC certified nurses with respect to lowering HAPI and CAUTI occurrences.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of data from National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators.

SUBJECTS AND SETTINGS

The sample comprised 928 National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) hospitals that participated in the 2012 NDNQI RN Survey (source of specialty certification data) and collected HAPI, CAUTI, and nurse staffing data during the years 2012 to 2013.

METHODS

We analyzed years 2012 to 2013 data from the NDNQI. Descriptive statistics summarized the number and types of employed WOC certified nurses, the rate of HAPI and CAUTI, and HAPI risk assessment and prevention intervention rates. Chi-square analyses were used to compare the characteristics of hospitals that do and do not employ WOC certified nurses. Analysis-of-covariance models were used to test the association between WOC certified nurses and HAPI and CAUTI occurrences.

RESULTS

Just more than one-third of the study hospitals (36.6%) employed WOC certified nurses. Certified continence care nurses (CCCNs) were employed in fewest number. Hospitals employing wound care specialty certified nurses (CWOCN, CWCN, and CWON) had lower HAPI rates and better pressure injury risk assessment and prevention practices. Stage 3 and 4 HAPI occurrences among hospitals employing CWOCNs, CWCNs, and CWONs (0.27%) were nearly half the rate of hospitals not employing these nurses (0.51%). There were no significant relationships between nurses with specialty certification in continence care (CWOCN, CCCN) or ostomy care (CWOCN, COCN) and CAUTI rates.

CONCLUSIONS

CWOCNs, CWCNs, and CWONs are an important factor in achieving better HAPI outcomes in acute care settings. The role of CWOCNs, CCCNs, and COCNs in CAUTI prevention warrants further investigation.

Pressure ulcer prevention is everyone's business: the PUPS project

Prevention of pressure ulcers is one of the greatest healthcare challenges in terms of reducing patient harm. The literature shows that although numerous reports and policy documents have been published, pressure ulcer prevention remains an ongoing challenge. A number of innovations have been published offering practising nurses and managers ideas for raising awareness of skin care and preventing pressure ulcers. The majority of these have focused on patients in hospital settings with very little in the literature related to care-home and community initiatives. This article reports on an innovative approach to education for pressure ulcer prevention through collaboration between patients, carers and health and social care professionals.

Modeling hospital-acquired pressure ulcer prevalence on medical-surgical units: nurse workload, expertise, and clinical processes of care

OBJECTIVE

This study modeled the predictive power of unit/patient characteristics, nurse workload, nurse expertise, and hospital-acquired pressure ulcer (HAPU) preventive clinical processes of care on unit-level prevalence of HAPUs.

DATA SOURCES

Seven hundred and eighty-nine medical-surgical units (215 hospitals) in 2009.

STUDY DESIGN

Using unit-level data, HAPUs were modeled with Poisson regression with zero-inflation (due to low prevalence of HAPUs) with significant covariates as predictors.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS

Hospitals submitted data on NQF endorsed ongoing performance measures to CALNOC registry.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Fewer HAPUs were predicted by a combination of unit/patient characteristics (shorter length of stay, fewer patients at-risk, fewer male patients), RN workload (more hours of care, greater patient [bed] turnover), RN expertise (more years of experience, fewer contract staff hours), and processes of care (more risk assessment completed).

CONCLUSIONS

Unit/patient characteristics were potent HAPU predictors yet generally are not modifiable. RN workload, nurse expertise, and processes of care (risk assessment/interventions) are significant predictors that can be addressed to reduce HAPU. Support strategies may be needed for units where experienced full-time nurses are not available for HAPU prevention. Further research is warranted to test these finding in the context of higher HAPU prevalence.

A Single Long-Term Acute Care Hospital Experience with a Pressure Ulcer Prevention Program

PURPOSE

The occurrence of pressure ulcers (PrUs) challenges care facilities. Few studies report PrU reduction efforts in long-term acute care (LTAC). This study described the PrU reduction efforts of a single, LTAC facility using the Medline Pressure Ulcer Prevention Program (mPUPP).

DESIGN

This study was a quasi-experimental, quality improvement project, with pre- and postmeasurement design.

METHODS

Outcomes were tracked for 24 months. The mPUPP was implemented in month 11. Education for caregivers was provided through an interactive web-based suite. In addition, all Patient Care Technicians attended a 4-week 1-hour inservice. New skin care products were implemented. The facility also implemented an algorithm for treatment of wounds.

FINDINGS

There was a significant reduction in the mean monthly hospital-acquired PrU (nPrU) rate when preprogram is compared to postprogram.

CONCLUSIONS

Sustainable nPrU reduction can be achieved with mPUPP.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

LTAC hospitals could expect to reduce nPrU with education and incentive of caregivers.

Reducing hospital-acquired pressure damage: an NHS acute trust initiative

During 2009, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust reviewed its pressure ulcer prevention strategy; this included patient interventions and equipment provision. Standard hospital mattresses were requiring replacement and dynamics were used frequently, while the overall prevalence of pressure damage remained high. Replacing the standard foam mattress with a non-powered pressure-redistributing system (AtmosAir) was proposed. The rationale for this was that by renewing all standard foam mattresses with the AtmosAir 4000, all patients would have immediate access to a pressure redistributing mattress. Training and education of staff was increased and the Trust redesigned documentation. The outcome of this approach was a significant reduction in hospital-acquired pressure damage.

Prevention of deep tissue injury through muscle contractions induced by intermittent electrical stimulation after spinal cord injury in pigs

Deep tissue injury (DTI) is a severe medical complication that commonly affects those with spinal cord injury. It is caused by prolonged external loading of the muscles, entrapping them between a bony prominence and the support surface. The entrapment causes excessive mechanical deformation and increases in interstitial pressure, leading to muscle breakdown deep around the bony prominences. We proposed the use of intermittent electrical stimulation (IES) as a novel prophylactic method for the prevention of DTI. In this study, we assessed the long-term effectiveness of this technique in pigs that had received a partial spinal cord injury that paralyzed one hindlimb. The pigs recovered for 2 wk postsurgery, and subsequently, their paralyzed limbs were loaded to 25% of their body weights 4 h/day for 4 consecutive days each week for 1 mo. One group of pigs (n = 3) received IES during the loading, whereas another group (n = 3) did not. DTI was quantified using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and postmortem histology. In the group that did not receive IES, MRI assessments revealed signs of tissue damage in 48% of the volume of the loaded muscle. In the group that did receive IES, only 8% of the loaded muscle volume showed signs of tissue damage. Similar findings were found through postmortem histology. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that IES may be an effective technique for preventing the formation of DTI in loaded muscles after spinal cord injury.

Comprehensive programs for preventing pressure ulcers: a review of the literature

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to examine the evidence supporting the combined use of interventions to prevent pressure ulcers (PrUs) in acute care and long-term-care facilities.

DESIGN

A systematic review of the literature describing multifaceted PrU prevention programs was performed. Articles were included if they described an intervention implemented in acute care settings or long-term-care facilities, incorporated more than 1 intervention component, involved a multidisciplinary team, and included information about outcomes related to the intervention.

MAIN RESULTS

Twenty-four studies were identified. Recurring components used in the development and implementation of PrU prevention programs included preparations prior to the start of a program, PrU prevention best practices, staff education, clinical monitoring and feedback, skin care champions, and cues to action. Ten studies reported PrU prevalence rates; 9 of them reported decreased prevalence rates at the end of their programs. Of the 6 studies reporting PrU incidence rates, 5 reported a decrease in incidence rates. Four studies measured care processes: 1 study reported an overall improvement; 2 studies reported improvement on some, but not all, measures; and 1 study reported no change.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a growing literature describing multipronged, multidisciplinary interventions to prevent PrUs in acute care settings and long-term-care facilities. Outcomes reported in these studies suggest that such programs can be successful in reducing PrU prevalence or incidence rates. However, to strengthen the level of evidence, sites should be encouraged to rigorously evaluate their programs and to publish their results.

Pressure ulcer prevention in Australia: the role of the nurse practitioner in changing practice and saving lives

This paper reports on a successful nurse practitioner-led Pressure Ulcer Prevention Program (PUPP), established with members from nursing, allied health and senior management, within a regional area health service in Australia. The aims of PUPP were to quantify the prevalence of pressure ulcers within the health organisation, evaluate the policy compliances, identify cost effectiveness by implementing appropriate pressure redistributing surfaces and raise awareness of pressure ulcer prevention amongst all levels of clinical staff. The strategies include annual point prevalence study across 41 facilities, mattress replacement and online education program. The prevalence survey data were collected by skin inspection and chart audits by the trained surveyors. Since this quality improvement program commenced in 2008, it has demonstrated a reduction in pressure ulcer prevalence by 16.4%, increased pressure ulcer risk assessment by 7.9% and use of appropriate pressure-relieving devices by 46.5%, which led to cost saving of AUD 500 000. This paper highlights the patient and organisation benefits that management and clinicians can accomplish through a systemic collaborative approach, in particular with strong support from the Area Executive Team of the health organisation.

Preventing pressure ulcers in hospitals: A systematic review of nurse-focused quality improvement interventions

BACKGROUND

A systematic review of the literature on nurse-focused interventions conducted in the hospital setting informs the evidence base for implementation of pressure ulcer (PU) prevention programs. Despite the availability of published guidelines, there is little evidence about which interventions can be successfully integrated into routine care through quality improvement (QI). The two previous literature syntheses on PU prevention have included articles from multiple settings but have not focused specifically on QI.

METHODS

A search of six electronic databases for publications from January 1990 to September 2009 was conducted. Trial registries and bibliographies of retrieved studies and reviews, and Internet sites of funding agencies were also searched. Using standardized forms, two independent reviewers screened publications for eligibility into the sample; data were abstracted and study quality was assessed for those that passed screening.

FINDINGS

Thirty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Most of them used a before-and-after study design in a single site. Intervention strategies included PU-specific changes in combination with educational and/or QI strategies. Most studies reported patient outcome measures, while fewer reported nursing process of care measures. For nearly all the studies, the authors concluded that the intervention had a positive effect. The pooled risk difference for developing PUs was -.07 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.0976, -0.0418) comparing the pre- and postintervention status.

CONCLUSION

Future research can build the evidence base for implementation through an increased emphasis on understanding the mechanisms by which improved outcomes are achieved and describing the conditions under which specific intervention strategies are likely to succeed or fail.