150 words 1 nursing reference within 5 years. This is a response to a peer db
Problem- Pressure ulcers in the elderly.
Intervention- Early intervention, Comprehensive medical history, medication history, Initial skin assessment, mobility and repositioning, proper nutrition, right mattress and efficacy of continence products.
Comparison-medical history, pain management, plan of care for the aged, regular assessment of continence, mobility and nutrition.
Outcome-decrease pressure ulcer in the elderly, improve quality of life, decrease mortality, improve patient outcome
How to decrease pressure ulcer in the elderly with proper intervention and plan care are to improve patient outcome.
Determine how the research question could guide the nurse's search of the literature to address the issue to implement a change in practice.
The skin thins as we age and therefor elder people are at greater risk for skins tears and pressure ulcers. Pressure ulcers usually occurs on bony prominence, the sick and people are immobile.
The first step in alleviating pressure ulcer is the identification of the risk factors. Age and aging skin, comorbidities, mobility, nutrition, moisture and medication. As nurses we should be educated about the risk assessment and prevention. Nurses should be inspecting often to prevent ulcers and or identify them at an early stage (Barry & Nugent, 2015).
The Braden's scale is a very effective prevention tool therefore the proper assessment must be completed to get an accurate number. An example a 79-year-old female with multiple cormorbidities including Parkinson, hypertension and emphysema. Her medication history includes prednisone and she wears diaper for incontinence. She is 45 Kilograms with a Braden scale of 10.
These are all risk factors. The nutritionist was consulted for proper nutrition and wound care team for assessment of tissue viability to provide. Medication list was evaluated by physician to make recommendation for risk and benefit. Social worker and speech pathologist to help with the cognitive issue form the Parkinson disease. Age specific patient centered care plan with assessment tool to prevent any new pressure ulcers.
The issue encounter implementing this change in the nursing practice was nursing ratio allowing time for each patient to complete a thorough assessment. Nurse staffing is a complex issue with no easy quick solution. This author concludes for the change to be implemented that support is the most important for safe nurse- patient ratio not regulations (Anders, 2017).
Explain the benefits to interprofessional research collaboration to improve patient health outcomes.
The use of a interprofessional research collaboration leads to higher quality of care and patient outcome. The inter- disciplinary approach as shown with the patient in this authors research includes, the nurse, physician, nutritionist, social worker, physical therapy and speech therapy. This research also involved the wound care team which is vital in wound prevention.
Research has shown that collaborative care reduces health cost, increases clinician empowerment and role satisfaction while increasing patient mortality and outcome (Anders, 2017).