Assessment 2 Root-Cause Analysis and Safety Improvement Plan essay

Assessment 2 Root-Cause Analysis and Safety Improvement Plan

NURS-FPX4020: Improving Quality of Care and Patient Safety

Pressure ulcers or bedsores are injuries of the skin, or injuries to the underlying tissues. It is caused by long-term pressure on the skin. They are the key aspects that are utilized in the measurement of the quality of healthcare within the facility. These issues are common in the in-patient facilities and as a result of the aging population, the United States is recording the highest cases of hospitalization and an increase in the reported incidences of bedsores (Papp, 2019).

The causes of pressure ulcers are the pressure that is exerted by the weight of the body, the frictional rubbing of the skin, and the shearing forces or sliding of the skin that occurs between the underlying bony structures and the external surfaces. The environmental factors of the healthcare facilities also play a huge role in the occurrence of pressure ulcers. The condition of the healthcare facility under which the patients receive treatment influences the possibility of developing pressure ulcers. The poor management and monitoring process of the patients in the facility makes it difficult for the patients to change the position of their sitting or lying while in bed. This exposes them to the risk of sitting or lying using one position for longer hence causing more pressure on those parts. The result is the death of the tissue which later turn to be pressure ulcers (Papp, 2019). Individuals who are highly exposed to this risk are patients with limited mobility and elderly patients. Assessment 2 Root-Cause Analysis and Safety Improvement Plan

It is important to have evidence-based interventions in order to prevent the issue of pressure ulcers that exposes patients to the risk of a longer stay in the hospital, and an increase in the cost of the delivery of care. The intervention, in this case, involves the use of negative pressure wound therapy. This intervention helps in the improvement of the healing process of the pressure sores during the patient stay at the facility. It helps in the reduction of the readmission rates, morbidity, and reduction in the number of hospitals stay. The negative pressure wound therapy helps in the reduction of the post-operative complications, reduction in the number of recurrent open wounds, and assisting with the reconstruction of the negative pressure ulcer surgery (Lima et al., 2017). The procedure is important in the reduction of wound dimension, clearance of the bacteria, controlling the edema, stimulating the granulation of the tissue formation, and the improvement in the inflammatory responses.

It is important for the caregivers to provide an appropriate timed reposition of patients to prevent them remaining over the same area of the body for long time. It may compromise blood circulation and to develop pressure ulcers.

How nurses help with the coordination of care to help in increasing patient safety with medication administration and reduction of the costs. Assessment 2 Root-Cause Analysis and Safety Improvement Plan

Nurses play important role in the implementation of the negative pressure wound therapy intervention. They use it for the treatment of acute and chronic wounds. Nurses use negative pressure wound therapy to draw out fluid and the infection from the wound thus promoting the healing process. The special dressing or the bandage is used by the nurses to seal over the wound and gently attached the vacuum pump. The successful implementation of these activities is achieved through the coordination of care. The coordination of care is done by ensuring that there is an effective flow of information by having communication and consultation throughout the process (Lima et al., 2017). Nurses collaborate through keeping the skin cleaner and dry, investigation of the incontinence, rubbing and massaging of the skin, and using the suitable pH appropriate skin cleaners and thorough drying process to boost the protection of the skin from excess moisture among others.

The stakeholders with whom nurses would coordinate to drive the safety improvement

To ensure that there is effective implementation of the negative pressure wound therapy, nurses must collaborate with other key stakeholders. One of the key stakeholders is the patients or their family members. The family members or the patients would be required to help with the implementation of the guidelines when the nurses are absent or busy caring for other patients. They are provided with preventive measures such as pressure-relieving or redistributing support surfaces and the approaches like turning and repositioning. Other healthcare providers such as physicians also help nurses in the implementation of negative pressure wound therapy. They provide the necessary advice and help with the designing of the protocol or guidelines to be followed by the nurses in implementing the intervention (Clarkson et al, 2019). They help by pushing and convincing the hospital management to provide the required resources for the implementation of the intervention.

Nurses can also work with nurse assistants as the key stakeholders in the implementation of negative pressure wound therapy and prevention of the possible occurrence of pressure ulcers. Nurse assistants help nurses by performing several tasks to assists in the prevention of the patients and residents from developing pressure ulcers. They help with the tasks such as repositioning, observing, and provision of good care to the skin and perineal care (Clarkson et al, 2019). They help by changing the wet and soiled linens, prompt changing of the clothing, and encouraging exercise.

References

Clarkson, P., Worsley, P. R., Schoonhoven, L., & Bader, D. L. (2019). An interprofessional approach to pressure ulcer prevention: a knowledge and attitudes evaluation. Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare, 12, 377. Doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S195366

Lima RVK, Coltro PS, & Farina JR JA (2017). Negative pressure therapy for the treatment of complex wounds. Revista do Colégio Brasileiro de Cirurgiões, 44(1), 81-93. https://doi.10.1590/0100-69912017001001

Papp, A. A. (2019). Incisional negative pressure therapy reduces complications and costs in pressure ulcer reconstruction. International Wound Journal, 16(2), 394-400. https://10.1111/iwj.13045

Assessment 2 Root-Cause Analysis and Safety Improvement Plan