In long term care facilities, for patients with spinal cord injuries, does turning a patient using turn teams on two hour intervals decrease the presence of pressure injuries prior to discharge?

Disciplines

Critical Care Nursing | Investigative Techniques | Nursing

Abstract (300 words maximum)

Pressure injuries are among some of the most detrimental injuries one can acquire in a healthcare setting. These injuries are often seen in long-term care facilities among those who have limited function of their bodies, such as those with spinal cord injuries. Pressure injuries arise when a part of the body has undergone too much pressure and the skin in that area begins to break down. While the prevalence of pressure injuries in hospitals has started to decrease over time, there is still evidence to support that these injuries are still affecting healthcare, financially, and there are more efficient interventions available to help eliminate this type of injury altogether. The purpose of this research is to 1) compare existing interventions for preventing pressure injuries and 2) implement the use of turn teams to continue to decrease the number of pressure injuries seen among patients with spinal cord injuries who are being treated in long-term care facilities. Data will be collected and evaluated from studies that have utilized turn teams in long-term care facilities. These turn teams consist of 2-3 staff members working together to help effectively turn patients on two-hour intervals. These studies include various phases of implementing turn teams over 12 months. Conclusions will be made based on the decreased percentages of pressure injuries seen in patients after a 12-month period. The results of this research will expand the knowledge and practice of nurses in long-term care facilities. These findings will also help to decrease healthcare costs that have accumulated related to the presence of pressure injuries. The implementation of turn teams will continue to build on the previous interventions already set in practice for patients at risk of acquiring a pressure injury.

Keywords: Pressure injury, turn team, long-term care, interval, intervention

Academic department under which the project should be listed

Wellstar School of Nursing

Primary Investigator (PI) Name

Sena Able

Additional Faculty

Dr. Christie Emerson, Nursing, cemerson@kennesaw.edu

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In long term care facilities, for patients with spinal cord injuries, does turning a patient using turn teams on two hour intervals decrease the presence of pressure injuries prior to discharge?

Pressure injuries are among some of the most detrimental injuries one can acquire in a healthcare setting. These injuries are often seen in long-term care facilities among those who have limited function of their bodies, such as those with spinal cord injuries. Pressure injuries arise when a part of the body has undergone too much pressure and the skin in that area begins to break down. While the prevalence of pressure injuries in hospitals has started to decrease over time, there is still evidence to support that these injuries are still affecting healthcare, financially, and there are more efficient interventions available to help eliminate this type of injury altogether. The purpose of this research is to 1) compare existing interventions for preventing pressure injuries and 2) implement the use of turn teams to continue to decrease the number of pressure injuries seen among patients with spinal cord injuries who are being treated in long-term care facilities. Data will be collected and evaluated from studies that have utilized turn teams in long-term care facilities. These turn teams consist of 2-3 staff members working together to help effectively turn patients on two-hour intervals. These studies include various phases of implementing turn teams over 12 months. Conclusions will be made based on the decreased percentages of pressure injuries seen in patients after a 12-month period. The results of this research will expand the knowledge and practice of nurses in long-term care facilities. These findings will also help to decrease healthcare costs that have accumulated related to the presence of pressure injuries. The implementation of turn teams will continue to build on the previous interventions already set in practice for patients at risk of acquiring a pressure injury.

Keywords: Pressure injury, turn team, long-term care, interval, intervention