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- Title
Deal with heels: a pressure ulcer prevention initiative.
- Authors
Birkill, Karen
- Abstract
Pressure ulcers/injuries are well known for being a common problem in healthcare and are a key indicator of the quality and experience of patient care. This article discusses how one NHS trust reduced the incidence of heel pressure ulcers within adult inpatient settings. In 2016/17, the trust identified 14 avoidable category 3 and above pressure ulcers/injuries in inpatient settings, of which 10 had developed on the heels. Through root cause analysis, the organisation identified themes, which prompted action, and a quality improvement project 'Deal with heels' was planned and implemented. Changes were introduced through a collaborative and structured approach; the key stakeholders included the tissue viability team, procurement, medical devices, patient safety, managers, matrons, ward sisters and tissue viability link advisors, who worked together to reduce heel ulcer prevalence through education and standardised practice. As a result of improved organisational awareness and some changes, the number of heel pressure ulcers/injuries reduced to two over a 3-year period, which also helped reduce the total number of avoidable pressure ulcers/injuries.
- Subjects
HEEL injuries; ULCER prevention; HEALTH care teams; HOSPITAL care; INTERPROFESSIONAL relations; MEDICAL protocols; NATIONAL health services; ORGANIZATIONAL change; QUALITY assurance; RISK assessment; SKIN care; ULCERS; PROFESSIONAL practice; DISEASE incidence; HEEL (Anatomy); WEIGHT-bearing (Orthopedics); ROOT cause analysis
- Publication
British Journal of Community Nursing, 2020, Vol 25, Issue 3, pS6
- ISSN
1462-4753
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.12968/bjcn.2020.25.Sup3.S6