Pressure ulcer program proposal

Pressure ulcers are one of the largest risks facing patients in hospitals today. The program that is described in this proposal sets out an agenda for dealing with this problem in a way that focuses on prevention. It is important because increasing numbers of patients are entering hospitals with conditions and then developing these pressure ulcers while under the care of health care professionals. This is unacceptable and needs to be addressed.

A new approach to the way that health care professionals deal with pressure ulcers is what will emerge out of this proposed program. Not only will the quality of care given to the patients improve, but so to will the greater system. Prevention of pressure ulcers is something that will require resources, but not working to prevent pressure ulcers is something that requires even more resources.

[...] The key is having knowledgeable staff that are capable of executing the assessment, including “accurate staging of the pressure ulcer and checking for fever, malnutrition and or dehydration, and local factors such as pressure, edema and incontinence.” (Calianno, 2007: 49). Nurses must mobilize themselves in such a way that allows them to call on multi-disciplinary teams that are able to coordinate their efforts to deal with pain management, redistributing pressure, and care of local wounds. Nurses need to also be aware of when they are able to provide care, and when it must be passed off to a more knowledgeable doctor. [...]

[...] To sum up, the tasks that will need to followed for the objectives and goals to be met are: “conduct regular prevalence and incidence surveys, monitor survey results using internal and external benchmarks, monitor compliance in documenting risk assessment, promote consistent education of healthcare providers on pressure ulcer prevention, educate parents and families about pressure risk and prevention, disseminate evidence-based guidelines on pressure ulcer prevention, use a validated pressure ulcer risk assessment tool appropriate for the type of facility, follow evidence- based pressure ulcer prevention guidelines, facilitate effective communication among healthcare professionals, allocate adequate resources for pressure ulcer prevention, and encourage research in pressure ulcer prevention.” (Calianno, 2007: 49). [...]