Raise the Heels

               Hospital acquired pressure ulcers cause pain and suffering for patients, are costly to the health care system and reflect quality of care. Heel pressure ulcers account for approximately 25 % of pressure ulcers in acute care and are the second most common site. Factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic contribute to heel ulcer development including pressure, shear and friction. Nurses and other care givers can eliminate the mechanical forces contributing to heel pressure ulcers reducing nosocomial heel pressure ulcers rates. We sought to learn if unit based, heel pressure ulcer education and educating ancillary staff would reduce our nosocomial pressure ulcer rate.

                Using our Tarheel nickname and design, “Raise the Heels” was an educational initiative implemented to raise awareness of heel pressure ulcers and empower nurses and ancillary services to prevent the mechanical forces responsible for heel pressure ulcers. During the last quarter 2011, nurses and ancillary staff were educated about heel pressure ulcers then challenged to have a nosocomial heel pressure ulcer rate of 0% based on the results of the fourth quarter 2011 NDNQI pressure ulcer prevalence survey.

                Education for nursing and ancillary staff was provided by the WOC nurses and Skin and Wound Resource Nurses during the week third week of October 2011.   Recognizing nurses benefit from unit based in servicing a traveling “Road Show” was used to educate nurses and ancillary staff. An informational brochure with pictures was created outlining the problem of heel pressure ulcers and included appropriate interventions to prevent pressure, shear and friction forces. Buttons with the Raise the Heels logo were created and a Tarheel mascot was used to promote the initiative.

                Results of the fourth quarter 2011 NDNQI survey will be reviewed and reported to evaluate whether our initiative had an impact on nosocomial heel pressure ulcers.