Nursing Education Supporting Inclusive Skin and Hair Care

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Culturally Congruent Care
• Patient Inclusivity

Background:

• Hospitalized patients with textured hair and skin of color face limited access to suitable products.
• Nursing staff often lack knowledge for culturally responsive hair and skin care.
• This highlights a critical gap in inclusive healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance inclusive hair and skin care for hospitalized patients.
• To improve access to appropriate hair and skin products.
• To bridge knowledge gaps among nursing staff regarding culturally responsive care.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project was implemented at a Midwestern academic medical center.
• Surveys informed product selection and education strategy development.
• Interventions included stocking products and providing educational resources via a webpage and video library.

Main Results:

• Post-education evaluations indicated increased nursing knowledge of hair and skin care.
• Staff reported improved confidence in providing culturally sensitive care.
• The initiative successfully enhanced the ability to deliver inclusive patient care.

Conclusions:

• Providing access to products and education significantly improves hair and skin care for diverse patient populations.
• This initiative establishes a replicable model for enhancing inclusive healthcare practices.
• Addressing specific patient needs in hair and skin care is crucial for culturally congruent healthcare.