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Published on: August 1, 2019
Who is turning the patients? A survey study
Anita Voz1, Carol Williams, Marian Wilson
1Anita Voz, BSN, CWCN, Kootenai Health, Department of Nursing, Coeur d'Alene, ID, USA. avoz@kmc.org
Summary
Nurses at a community hospital demonstrated poor accuracy in identifying high-risk patients for skin breakdown and lacked awareness of the Norton Pressure Ulcer Scale. Resources for repositioning were reported as adequate, despite challenges.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Practice
- Patient Safety
- Wound Prevention
Background:
- Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) are a significant concern in patient care.
- Effective risk assessment and timely repositioning are crucial for preventing skin breakdown.
- The Norton Pressure Ulcer Scale is a validated tool for assessing skin breakdown risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate nurses' ability to identify patients at high risk for skin breakdown.
- To determine if adequate resources were available for repositioning high-risk patients according to protocol.
- To assess nurses' awareness of patient risk scores using the Norton Pressure Ulcer Scale.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 101 registered nurses across 8 acute care units at a community hospital.
- Face-to-face interviews conducted across all shifts over 4 days.
- Data collected on nurses' identification of high-risk patients, awareness of Norton scores, repositioning practices, and resource availability.
Main Results:
- 66% of patients were correctly assessed for skin risk status.
- Nurses incorrectly identified high risk in 35.9% of patients and low risk in 35.1%.
- 73% of nurses were unaware of their patients' Norton Pressure Ulcer Scale scores; 33% received change-of-shift information on skin risks.
Conclusions:
- Nurses reported sufficient resources for patient repositioning.
- A significant gap exists in nurses' awareness of patient risk scores and accuracy in identifying high-risk patients for skin breakdown.
- Interventions are needed to improve nurses' risk assessment skills and utilization of the Norton Pressure Ulcer Scale.
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