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Pressure care in the paediatric intensive care unit
1Immunology Day Centre, Royal Group of Hospitals Trust, Belfast.
Nursing Standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987)
|November 19, 2002
Summary
Pediatric nurses face challenges in assessing skin integrity for critically ill children. A simple audit improved practice, significantly reducing pressure ulcer development in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care nursing
- Patient safety
- Skin integrity management
Background:
- Nursing staff in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) encounter complex challenges when admitting critically ill children.
- Assessment of skin integrity is often deprioritized during initial admission.
- A lack of universal tools for pressure ulcer risk assessment exists.
Observation:
- Nursing staff in PICUs encounter multifaceted care issues upon child admission.
- Skin integrity assessment is often a secondary concern during the critical admission phase.
- A review of current literature identified no universal risk assessment tool for pressure ulcers in pediatric patients.
Findings:
- A straightforward audit implemented in a PICU led to practice changes.
- These changes resulted in a measurable reduction in pressure ulcer incidence over a two-year period.
- The study demonstrates the effectiveness of targeted audits in improving patient outcomes.
Implications:
- Implementing simple audits can enhance nursing practices in PICUs.
- Standardized risk assessment tools for pressure ulcers are needed in pediatric critical care.
- Improved skin integrity assessment protocols can reduce adverse events and improve patient care quality.