Date of Graduation
Spring 5-16-2016
Document Access
Project/Capstone - Global access
Degree Name
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
College/School
School of Nursing and Health Professions
Abstract
The purpose of this project is to implement an evidence-based change in practice resulting safer procedures as evidenced by zero hospital acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs). It is relevant to nursing as it provides an ethical perspective regarding patient safety and contributes to our present understanding of HAPU prevention. In spite of having already decreased the total number of HAPUs by 50% in 2015, the cardiac catheterization lab (CCL) was implicated in 30% of those reported. My objective is to improve patient safety by reducing the number of HAPUs acquired in the CCL to 0% by three months using a prophylactic foam dressing protocol.
The population included all patients undergoing lengthy (> three hours), complex cardiac catheterization procedures with/without anesthesia in the CCL. Methods used involved prospective data collection, enhanced skin assessments, and the application of foam dressings in patients deemed high-risk for developing sacral HAPUs. To date 80 patients met inclusion criteria and were administered prophylactic sacral dressings and subsequently tracked for the outcome measure using EHRs. As predicted, zero patients treated with prophylactic sacral dressing experienced HAPUs based on discharge skin assessments. A posttest was administered to all CCL staff following instruction (see Appendix A). I conclude that this evidence-based change in practice effectively reduces HAPUs in high-risk CCL patients.
Recommended Citation
Jasper, Charles, "Preventing HAPUs in High-Risk Cardiac Cath Patients Using Foam Dressing Protocol" (2016). Master's Projects and Capstones. 287.
https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/287
