Authors (including presenting author) :
LAI CHM
Affiliation :
Department of Surgery, Princess Margaret Hospital
Introduction :
The development of pressure injury (PI) during hospitalisation increases length of stay, management cost but decreases patient’s satisfaction. Pressure injuries are mostly preventable. The key to success requires ample nursing staff’ awareness, knowledge, prompt interventions and extensive collaborations with different allied health colleagues.
Objectives :
(1) To reduce the prevalences of pressure injuries in the Department of Surgery
(2) To increase nurses and health care assistants’ (HCA) awareness on mitigating pressure injuries
(3) To reinforce tactics on pressure injuries’ preventions
(4) To evaluate and optimise the existing measures on pressure injuries’ preventions
Methodology :
All staff from the Department of Surgery were invited. Five identical educational sessions were delivered in early January. Two additional educational sessions were organised for the new comers. The preventive strategies were being emphasised. Case sharing, monthly assessment and evaluation was performed by pressure injury liaison nurse (PCLNs), representatives. The outcomes were evaluated by (i) hospital pressure injury statistics; (ii) behavioural change of the staff; (iii) staff opinions regarding the proposed measures;
Result & Outcome :
From January to September 2021, (i) the number of pressure injuries were reduced by 50% even with the expansion of surgical bad occupancies.
In the mid-evaluation conducted in September 2021, over 90% of staff agreed that the measures were effective and easy to comply. All of the staff have demonstrated increasing awareness towards pressure injuries.
Conclusion
Enhancement programme of prevention on pressure injury is effective in minimising hospital acquired pressure injury. Moreover, majority of staff were satisfied and expressed willingness to act in accordance with the interventions
