In today’s era of nursing, nurses practice in an accountability age. The quality of care provided to each patient as well as cost issues are what drives the direction of healthcare. Patients are becoming more informed and knowledgeable about their own health as well as prevalence of medical errors within hospitals and other healthcare institutions across the United States. To decrease such errors such as nosocomial infections, medication errors, pressure ulcers, and even death health care professionals began to take on new approaches to see what works and what doesn’t. Evidence based practice, EBP, is a guide in which nurses use to make effective, timely, and appropriate clinical decisions. When caring for patiently nurses are constantly faced
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In a study to assist nurses at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center in preventing and treating patients with skin impairments the Transformational Care at Bedside (TCAB) Method was implemented. This method included the use of a dedicated Skin Care Resource Nurse to assist a medical-surgical unit in reducing nosocomial pressure ulcers. The TCAB Method included the use of an initial skin assessment. The admitting nurse would perform a skin assessment of every patient, documenting any skin impairments. Any skin impairments noted would be photographed, measured, and documented on a designated skin assessment sheet by the nurse. Skin assessment sheets would then be redone on Mondays, if the patient has a change in skin condition, or is transferred to another unit. If skin impairments were present, the nurse would then treat according to hospital policy and implement the eight steps of skin protocol. The eight steps of treating and preventing skin breakdown includes: (1) the use treatment protocols to allow consistent treatment, (2) treatment records to identify interventions used, (3) physician stickers to notify the physician of the skin breakdown, (4) radar screen to notify charge nurses of patients who are at high risk for skin breakdown, (5) notifying the dietary department of any patients with stage III and IV pressure ulcers, (6) designating a skin care nurse to inspect and assess each patient, (7) appropriate bed surfaces, and (8) the appropriate care plan for each patient. Following these guidelines and protocols the University of Pittsburg Medical Center was successful in decreasing hospital-acquired pressure ulcers. (Ackerman,
In a study to assist nurses at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center in preventing and treating patients with skin impairments the Transformational Care at Bedside (TCAB) Method was implemented. This method included the use of a dedicated Skin Care Resource Nurse to assist a medical-surgical unit in reducing nosocomial pressure ulcers. The TCAB Method included the use of an initial skin assessment. The admitting nurse would perform a skin assessment of every patient, documenting any skin impairments. Any skin impairments noted would be photographed, measured, and documented on a designated skin assessment sheet by the nurse. Skin assessment sheets would then be redone on Mondays, if the patient has a change in skin condition, or is transferred to another unit. If skin impairments were present, the nurse would then treat according to hospital policy and implement the eight steps of skin protocol. The eight steps of treating and preventing skin breakdown includes: (1) the use treatment protocols to allow consistent treatment, (2) treatment records to identify interventions used, (3) physician stickers to notify the physician of the skin breakdown, (4) radar screen to notify charge nurses of patients who are at high risk for skin breakdown, (5) notifying the dietary department of any patients with stage III and IV pressure ulcers, (6) designating a skin care nurse to inspect and assess each patient, (7) appropriate bed surfaces, and (8) the appropriate care plan for each patient. Following these guidelines and protocols the University of Pittsburg Medical Center was successful in decreasing hospital-acquired pressure ulcers. (Ackerman,