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WU Pressure Ulcers Are Preventable Through Evidence Based Practices Discussion

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Never events refer to medical errors or adverse events that patients experience at the hands of providers or medical staff (McKeon, L., 2011). In 2002, an official list of 28 serious reportable adverse patient events was published by the National Quality Forum in hopes of implementing a reputable reporting system (McKeon, L., 2011). The list included pressure ulcers and wrong-site surgery—both preventable. As a result, insurers were encouraged to reward facilities that utilized evidence-based practice strategies, which would decrease the costly errors previously made (McKeon, L., 2011). In addition to encouraging a rewards system, they developed one for penalties as well. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services no longer provides reimbursement for the treatment of hospital-acquired stage III pressure ulcers (Ma, C., 2015).

Even though pressure ulcers are preventable with quality care, in 2014, there were more than one million hospital-acquired pressure injuries reported. (Waugh, S.M., 2020). There are approximately 2.5 million pressure ulcers each year in acute care hospitals. The average cost of treatment is $9.1 to $11.6 billion in the United States alone (Ma, C., 2015).

The nurse’s role in pressure ulcer prevention is to identify the patient’s risk factors for developing pressure ulcers. Placing patients on turn schedules, educating patients as to why, and monitoring the patient’s nutritional health are all immediate interventions. Challenges nurses face in pressure ulcer prevention are the skin breakdown due to incontinence, leaking of the catheter, or other bodily fluids. Regardless of appropriate repositioning, uncontained fluid on skin leads to excoriation, often resulting in pressure areas and open skin. The collection of such data allows nurses to see the bigger picture and identify areas of concern. Nurses can view the gathered data and research suggestions and interventions to apply to their practice. Patients benefit from the education of the nurses and will have many more positive outcomes.

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