Educating nursing home staff in the reduction of pressure sores

Care-related work within continuing care settings is often perceived as being of low status and requiring little skill. In reality, however, creating a positive long-term care environment requires imagination and creativity. Education and training are a key element in any effort to improve the quality of care in nursing homes and similar settings, yet recent evidence suggests that opportunities for continuing education and training for staff in such environments are limited. This article considers the context of continuing education for nurses and care assistants employed in nursing homes, and uses a pilot evaluation of an educational package aimed at reducing the incidence of pressure sores as a case example to raise important issues. The difficulties in providing sufficient opportunities for education are highlighted and the need to embed any educational programme within a well-developed staff support structure is stressed.