RNAO BPG Pressure Ulcers Stage I to IV - Faculty of Health ...

Nursing Best Practice GuidelineRegional efforts tap into existing Economies of Scale (ES). Economies of scale refers to the decreased perunit cost as output increases – and can relate to any matter – from education to units of production. ESallows for the division and specialization of labour to impact on the outcome. Tapping into the “healthcarecommunity as a whole” can allow all associated organizations to take advantage of wound care expertsand specialists working at each. It means that each organization does not have to re-invent the wheel(Heakal, 2003; Wikipedia, 2001).An example of regional collaboration could begin with the development of a discharge transfer tool (Referto Appendix R). It can also result in the establishment of Regional Wound Care Teams (Campbell, Teague, Hurd,& King, 2006).Patient EducationRecommendation 5.1Involve the patient and caregiver, when possible, in pressure ulcer treatment and preventionstrategies and options. Include information on pain, discomfort, possible outcomes and duration oftreatment, if known. Other areas of education may include patient information regarding appropriatesupport surfaces, as well as roles of various health professionals. Collaborate with patient, family andcaregivers to design and implement a plan for pressure ulcer prevention and treatment.Level of Evidence – IVInvolving the client and family members in discussions of care invites creative approaches to healtheducation. In one study, pressure mapping technology provided valuable information relating to theclient’s overall seating system (Crawford, Strain, Gregg, Walsh, & Porter-Armstrong, 2005). Such information couldbe used as a biofeedback strategy to facilitate education regarding the importance of pressuremanagement seating devices or repositioning techniques to meet the client’s seating surface requirements.49