Managing pressure sores in the community

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Pressure sores represent a significant challenge in healthcare, impacting patient well-being and increasing healthcare costs.
• Community nursing care presents unique challenges for pressure sore prevention and management.
• Assessing current practices and knowledge is crucial for identifying gaps and improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of pressure sores within a community nursing setting.
• To evaluate the current practices and knowledge levels of community nurses regarding pressure sore prevention.
• To identify areas for improvement in nursing education and resource allocation for pressure sore management.

Main Methods:

• A six-month project was conducted in Portsmouth HealthCare NHS Trust.
• Questionnaires were distributed to and returned by 99 community nurses.
• Data collected included pressure sore prevalence, risk assessment practices, equipment availability, and knowledge levels.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of pressure sores was found to be 4.4%.
• Routine pressure sore risk assessment was performed by 72% of nurses; 49% had access to appropriate equipment.
• While 60% demonstrated good or acceptable knowledge, 40% had poor knowledge of risk factors, and 80% did not routinely test mattresses.

Conclusions:

• Significant gaps exist in community nurses' knowledge and practices concerning pressure sore prevention.
• There is a clear need for enhanced training, accessible equipment, and routine mattress testing.
• A majority of nurses (85%) expressed a desire for a specialist advisory service to support pressure sore management.