Pressure ulcer prevention: utilizing unlicensed assistive personnel

The purpose of this article is to provide education to the RN regarding pressure ulcer prevention and best practice interventions. This investigation focuses on the definition of a pressure ulcer, risk factors for pressure ulcers, and the benefits and importance of using unlicensed assistive personnel to help prevent pressure ulcers. A comprehensive literature review was completed using the Texas Woman's University Library, the Texas Christian University Library, and the World Wide Web. The search engine used was Google. The databases included were CINAHL, Academic Search Complete, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source. The literature was current, defined as from the last 10 years, and the primary language searched was English. Full-text articles from these databases were included as well as print publications from the university collections. The key search terms from the literature review included (a) pressure ulcer, (b) prevention, (c) unlicensed assistive personnel, (d) nursing assistant, (e) theory of nursing knowledge, (f) incidence, (g) prevalence, (h) Braden scale, (i) moisture, and (j) repositioning. Best practice guidelines were reviewed via the Joanna Briggs database, National Guideline Clearinghouse, Cochrane Library, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the National Institutes of Health. Literature was synthesized to define evidence-based practices that would justify the use of unlicensed assistive personnel for the prevention and care of pressure ulcers.