Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Kathleen Brewer

Abstract

Pressure ulcers are a serious health condition that have negative consequences for patients and organizations. The primary cause of pressure ulcers is intense and/or prolonged pressure or pressure in combination with shear that results in damage to the skin and underlying soft tissue. Early identification of patients at risk for pressure ulcers and 2-hour repositioning to off-load pressure are key components in reducing pressure ulcer development. Despite ongoing efforts to prevent pressure ulcers, the incidence and prevalence of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) at the practicum site exceeded the benchmark for Magnet hospitals and the health system's goal of 1%. Patient mobility sensor technology will be implemented on all patients who are at risk for pressure ulcers and who require caregiver-assisted turns to reduce the incidence and prevalence of HAPUs and increase turn-schedule compliance. At risk patients are those with a Braden Scale score of 18 or less; however, nurses often score patients higher than actual. An educational activity, Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk: It's only as effective as the scores suggest, will be presented to nurses to provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary to accurately perform a Braden assessment and correctly identify patients at risk for pressure ulcers. A pretest/posttest design will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in improving the nurses' accuracy when performing the Braden assessment. This project will help with the early identification of patients who will benefit from the patient mobility sensor technology and ultimately in decreasing HAPUs.

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