Pressure Ulcer Prevention Paper

Pressure ulcer prevention is an important clinical issue in the renal unit that causes patients in the hospital setting unnecessary pain and discomfort, an increased risk for infection, and an increased need of resources for treatment. According to the American Journal of Critical Care (AJCC, 2012), hospital admissions are “resulting in annual costs of $11 billion for treatment related to the ulcers.” Another issue that hospitals have come across with the prevalence of pressure ulcers is the responsible party that will pay for the extended hospital stay. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, “hospitals are no longer reimbursed for care related to stage III and stage IV pressure ulcers that develop during a hospital admission”
Therefore, identification is the most current best practice recommendation. The most common tool used for identifying patients at risk for developing pressure ulcers is the Braden Scale. However, “quantification of the relationship between Braden Scale score and nursing interventions indicates the need for a more comprehensive and fundamental approach” (JAN, 2010). The Braden Scale is divided into six categories: sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition, and friction and shear. A score of 18 or less indicates that the patient is at risk for pressure ulcers. The rationale for these recommendations is that identifying a patient upon admission for being at risk allows the nurse to begin a prevention plan as soon as identified. The nurse needs to implement interventions to prevent the formation of a pressure ulcer. If the practice of identification upon admission is not followed, prevention is delayed and pressure ulcer formation begins. This causes the patient unnecessary pain, increases their risk for infection, and extends the hospital stay. Pressure ulcers are easier to prevent than to