Outcomes of an innovative 2-year pressure ulcer prevention educational program

Rationale and Description of Purpose: Nusing staff have continued to identify wound care as one of their top learning needs.  Excellence in wound care warrants a number of elements: good local wound care, close and conscientious monitoring as well as timely detection of delayed wound healing.  To facilitate this, knowledge and skill translation necessitates the need to further augment a network of unit-based experts.  Late career nurses are often seen as leaders on their units.  Thus, with funding support through the Ontario Nursing Strategy – Late Career Initiative, these nurses were invited to join the second-year of an experiential educational program designed to improve wound assessment and management as well as enhance capacity at the frontline level.

Goal: To further develop front-line staff nurses’ knowledge and skills to enhance their individual and unit - capacity in pressure ulcer prevention and management.

Method of Implementation: With direct knowledge translation the aim of all teaching/learning strategies, a theoretically-guided 12-week comprehensive program imbedded weekly opportunities for direct and timely practical applications at the bedside.

Results: pre-post tests over 2 LCI cycles demonstrated positive changes quantitatively and qualitatively:
Ø      In the Knowledge tests, and Attitude and (self-reported) Beliefs regarding pressure ulcer practices.
Ø      in Changes in frequency of wound care practices
Ø      in self-reported levels of confidence
Ø      translated into positive changes in patient outcomes as measured objectively through clinical data

Implications:
As a result of both cycles of the program, increased numbers of nurses:
Ø      gained increased competency in knowledge and skills in pressure ulcer prevention and management
Ø      had positive changes in attitudes and self-reported beliefs, changes in frequency of wound care practices, and in self-reported levels of confidence related to practice behaviours
Ø       Augmented their capacity at the frontline, unit level

Ø      Currently serve as informal unit-based wound care nurse resources

Note: Funding was granted through the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.