Title: Drilling down on unavoidable pressure ulcers
Abstract:
Pressure ulcers (injuries) are complex and difficult to prevent and treat. Although there are multiple etiologies of open wounds and chronic dermal ulcers, this session will focus on pressure ulcers and times when they are terminal / unavoidable and the reasons why. Identification of unavoidable pressure injuries takes keen assessment skills and the courage to call them just that.
Pressure ulcers/injuries remain a huge issue in any health care setting, including the home. Attempts to fight pressure injury formation through preventative means are met with varying levels of success. There are costly and regulatory ramifications to the development and deterioration of pressure injuries in any setting as well as the difficult issue of human suffering. Pressure injury prevention, treatment, and care rendered through clinician caring, collaboration, communication, and close engagement is also as important as best practice and evidence-based prevention and treatment measures.
Objectives/major points and what the attendee will take away from this session and points for discussion are:
- Nurses will be able to recall the components of pressure injury unavoidability factors
- Nurses will be able to recite the major components of each legally defensible item
- Nurses will demonstrate new paradigms used in the implementation of the Braden Scale
- Nurses will understand the rationale behind implementation of the mobility, offloading, & repositioning components
- Nurses will obtain clarity on the legal pitfalls of documentation of skin & wound issues
A robust wound and skin assessment will enable a clinician, in any health care setting, to communicate findings to wound healing experts that can in turn impact successful and timely closure of wounds. This will in turn help to reverse poor wound healing outcomes and ensure that best practices are used in the *hopeful* prevention and treatment of pressure injuries.
