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Background and Aims

More knowledge about perceptions of implementing new ways of working to prevent organism transmission and create safety engagement in health care are needed. This study aimed to explore managers and hygiene representatives', in the role as facilitators, perceptions of safety engagement and factors of importance when implementing measures to reduce healthcare-associated infections.

Methods

Data were collected using both a quantitative and qualitative approach. A total of 24 facilitators were involved in the implementation process (12 managers, and 12 hygiene representatives, all female). The facilitators responded to the Sustainable Safety Engagement Index at three occasions, and 13 of the facilitators participated in open-ended semi-structured interviews.

Results

The results displayed that both internal and external organizational factors affected the implementation process as well as the interactions between individuals within the organization. The Sustainable Safety Engagement Index did not indicate any deviations before and during the implementation process.

Conclusion

To create a patient safety culture and get healthcare personnel engaged, it is important for healthcare managers to be aware of the complexity of healthcare and adapt organizational factors and specific elements in the caring chain. A systematic implementation approach, and reliable measurements along with use of single or multiple strategies is recommended. Furthermore, dedicated facilitators who creates an environment of support and cooperation between different professions and provides inspiration is crucial to maintain the improvement work. Prevailing behaviors should also be considered when planning and implementing patient safety interventions.

Background and AimsSeveral factors exist regarding the risk for, healing and prevention of pressure ulcers (PUs). A mobile PU team with an individualized holistic approach adapted to the home or outpatient clinic setting could be beneficial for the prevention, and management of PUs.AimsTo describe the mobile PU team's interventions among individuals who had deep PUs and were living at home. Another aim was to describe the patients' perceptions of the quality of the care and having a deep PU.MethodsA quantitative study with a cross-sectional design. At an outpatient clinic, a mobile PU team was established to perform and follow up PU prevention interventions and advanced wound care treatment at home and at the outpatient clinic. All adult patients with existing deep category four PUs remitted to the outpatient clinic were asked to participate, and 16 out of 24 individuals consented. Instruments used for data collection were "Quality from the Patient's Perspective," "Wound-Quality of Life," "Modified Norton Scale," and a study developed protocol for the mobile team's PU interventions.ResultsThe patients chose home visits 20 times and outpatient clinic visits 89 times. In total, 8-13 interventions per participant were performed by the mobile team. The results show that having PUs affected the participants' perceptions of care and general well-being. The PUs did not heal completely but they did improve, six patients underwent flap surgery.ConclusionWhen organizing care regarding patient safety for patients with deep PUs, it is important to consider the patient's perspective and well-being and to involve patients in their care plans. Home care is perhaps not the only way of caring; other aspects, in addition to telemedicine, could be an option.

Background and Aim: Patients undergoing surgery are at high risk of developing pressure ulcers. However, pressure ulcer prevention in the operating room department is demanding and restricted. New techniques, such as continuous pressure mapping that visualizes interface pressure, are now available. The aim of the study was to determine whether pressure mapping information of interface pressure intraoperatively leads to (1) more frequent intraoperative micro repositioning and a reduced amount of pressure on the sacrum area and (2) a lower frequency of pressure ulcer development.

Methods: A quasi-experimental ABA design was used. A total of 116 patients undergoing surgery were included. During the B phase, the need to consider repositioning the patient according to interface pressure readings was initiated.

Results: The result showed that there was significantly higher interface pressure in the A2 phase than in the B phase. Micro repositioning of the patient during surgery was performed in the B phase, but not in the A phase. The regression model showed that a higher BMI was associated with higher interface pressure. None of the patients developed hospital-acquired pressure ulcers up to Day 1 postoperatively.

Conclusion: Pressure mapping involves moving away from expert opinion and tradition towards objective assessment and flexibility and we see the benefits of using pressure-mapping equipment in operating room contexts. However, more research is needed in this area.

The aim of this study was to describe pressure ulcer prevalence and prevention interventions in hospital care in Sweden based on nationwide surveys conducted over a 10-year period. All Swedish hospitals were invited to participate in annual pressure ulcer prevalence surveys during the period 2011-2020. The data collection protocols included gender, age, skin assessment, risk assessment, and preventive interventions. In total, more than 130,000 patients were included in the ten prevalence surveys. The prevalence of pressure ulcers in Swedish hospital patients decreased significantly from 17.0 %to 11.4% between 2011 and 2020 and hospital-acquired pressure ulcers decreased from 8.1% to 6.4% between 2018 and 2020. There was no significant decline in medicaldevice-related pressure ulcers during the same period. The proportion of patients who were risk and skin assessed increased, as did the use of pressure-reducing mattresses, sliding sheets, heel protection, and nrepositioning plans. This study shows that the implementation of a national patient safety program has had an impact on the nationwide prevalence of pressure ulcers in hospital care and the occurrence of prevention strategies. However, one in ten patients in Swedish hospitals still suffers from pressure ulcers. Further improvements can be made.

AIM: To assess sustainability of an intervention used to implement pressure ulcer prevention.

BACKGROUND: The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Service, framework was used to develop an intervention aimed to implement evidence-based pressure ulcer prevention in a hospital setting. A short-term follow-up showed that significantly more patients received pressure ulcer prevention. A qualitative process evaluation gave support that the intervention and the implementation process changed the understanding and approach to working with pressure ulcer prevention from treating to preventing.

METHOD: The study had a sequential mixed method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data. For the quantitative data, baseline and short-term follow-up (6-8 months) data reported in an initial study were compared with long-term follow-up (36-42 months) data (n = 259 patients). For the qualitative data, interviews with registered nurses (n = 20), assistant nurses (n = 7) and first-line managers (n = 5) were performed.

RESULTS: The performance of pressure ulcer prevention was sustained 3 years from its conception. The number of patients with pressure ulcers was reduced (P = 0.021). Systematic work with quality measurements, support from first-line managers, internal facilitation, collaboration and pressure ulcer prevention skills could explained the sustainability. Obstacles to achieve high-quality pressure ulcer prevention were inadequate communication, high workloads and high rates of new and substitute nurses.

CONCLUSION: Three different components for sustainability on the micro-level are described; benefits for the patients, the need for routinization and development over time. Threats to sustainability are described as factors on the macro-level. There needs to be collaboration in the healthcare organization from the micro-to-macro levels, and committed experienced nurses are needed to obtain high-quality sustainable pressure ulcer prevention.

Background: Surgical patients have an increased risk of sustaining a pressure induced injury. Novel technology has made it possible to objectively measure and visualize the interface pressure between the patient's tissue and the support surface in real time. The aim of this study was to describe operating room team members’ experiences of working with a pressure mapping system as a means to prevent intraoperative and postoperative recovery unit pressure injuries, and to describe the interface pressures and the incidence of observed pressure injuries. Methods: We used a descriptive design with a qualitative approach to investigate the operating room team members’ experiences of working with real-time feedback of interface pressure, and a quantitative approach to investigate the interface pressures and the incidence of observed pressure injuries. The technology was used during 49 surgeries. Results: The system increased clinician awareness and was considered beneficial in pressure injury prevention activities. There were wide variations in the interface pressures that measured from < 50 to 255 mmHg. Eight patients developed blanchable erythema during surgery and five other patients developed category 1 pressure injuries two hours postoperatively. Conclusions: This study shows that the new technology could play an important role in preventing pressure injuries during surgery in the future.

Aim: To examine the frequency, preventability, and consequences of hospital acquired pressure injuries in acute care hospitals over a 4-year period.

Method: A retrospective record review was performed using the Swedish version of the Global Trigger Tool (GTT). A total of 64 917 hospital admissions were reviewed. Data were collected between 2013 and 2016 from all 63 Swedish acute care hospitals.

Results: The prevalence of pressure injuries (category 2-4) was 1%. Older patients, "satellite patients", and patients with acute admissions had more pressure injuries. Most pressure injuries (91%) were determined to be preventable. The mean extended length of hospital stay was 15.8 days for patients who developed pressure injuries during hospitalization.

Conclusion: The GTT provides a useful and complementary national perspective on hospital acquired pressure injuries across hospitals, informing health care providers on safety priorities to reduce patient harm. Clinical leaders can use information on the preventability and the consequences of pressure injuries, as well as evidence-based arguments for improving the health care organization.

AIM: To describe staff's perceptions of a continuous pressure mapping system to prevent pressure injury in a hospital ward.

BACKGROUND: Pressure injury development is still a problem in hospitals. It is important to understand how new information and communication technologies can facilitate pressure injury prevention.

METHOD: A descriptive design with qualitative focus group interviews was used.

RESULTS: Five categories were identified: "Need of information, training and coaching over a long period of time," "Pressure mapping - a useful tool in the prevention of pressure injury in high risk patients," "Easy to understand and use, but some practical issues were annoying," "New way of working and thinking," and "Future possibilities with the pressure mapping system."

CONCLUSION: The pressure mapping system was an eye-opener for the importance of pressure injury prevention. Staff appreciated the real-time feedback on pressure points, which alerted them to the time for repositioning, facilitated repositioning and provided feedback on the repositioning performed.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: A continuous pressure mapping system can be used as a catalyst, increasing staff's competence, focus and awareness of prevention. For successful implementation, the nurse managers should have a shared agenda with the clinical nurse leaders, supporting the sustaining and spread of the innovation.

Aims and objectives: To describe registered nurses', assistant nurses' and first-line managers' experiences and perceptions of a multifaceted hospital setting intervention focused on implementing evidence-based pressure ulcer prevention.

Background: Pressure ulcer prevention is deficient. Different models exist to support implementation of evidence-based care. Little is known about implementation processes.

Design: A descriptive qualitative approach.

Method: Five focus-group nurse interviews and five individual first-line manager interviews were conducted at five Swedish hospital units. Qualitative content analysis was used.

Result: The findings support that the intervention and the implementation process changed the understanding and way of working with pressure ulcer prevention: from treating to preventing. This became possible as Changed understanding enables changed actions - through one's own performance and reflection on pressure ulcer prevention'. Having a common outlook on pressure ulcer prevention, easy access to pressure-reducing equipment, and external and internal facilitator support were described as important factors for changed practices. Bedside support, feedback and discussions on current results increased the awareness of needed improvements.

Conclusion: The multifaceted intervention approach and the participants' positive attitudes seemed to be crucial for changing understanding and working more preventatively. The strategies used and the skills of the facilitators need to be tailored to the problems surrounding the context. Feedback discussions among the staff regarding the results of the care provided also appear to be vital.

Relevance to clinical practice. It is crucial that dedicated facilitators are involved to promote the implementation process. A preventative mindset should be strived for. Creating an implementation plan with an outcome and a process evaluation should be emphasised. It is important to give the staff regular feedback on the quality of care and on those occasions allocate time for discussion and reflection.

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether a multi-faceted, unit-tailored intervention using evidenced-based pressure ulcer prevention affects (i) the performance of pressure ulcer prevention, (ii) the prevalence of pressure ulcers and (iii) knowledge and attitudes concerning pressure ulcer prevention among registered and assistant nurses. A quasi-experimental, clustered pre- and post-test design was used. Five units at a hospital setting were included. The intervention was based on the PARIHS framework and included a multi-professional team, training and repeated quality measurements. An established methodology was used to evaluate the prevalence and prevention of pressure ulcers. Nurses' knowledge and attitudes were evaluated using a validated questionnaire. A total of 506 patients were included, of whom 105 patients had a risk to develop pressure ulcer. More patients were provided pressure ulcer prevention care (P = 0·001) and more prevention care was given to each patient (P = 0·021) after the intervention. Corresponding results were shown in the group of patients assessed as being at risk for developing pressure ulcers. Nurses' knowledge about pressure ulcer prevention increased (P < 0·001). Positive attitudes towards pressure ulcer prevention remained high between pre- and post-test surveys. This multi-faceted unit-tailored intervention affected pressure ulcer prevention. Facilitation and repeated quality measurement together with constructed feedback of results seemed to be the most important factor for pressure ulcer prevention.