Empowering nurses, impacting outcomes. The Wound Treatment Associate programs impact on hospital pressure related injury

Problem: In 2014 a 250 bed, level 2 trauma and regional referral hospital in rural Maine had a pressure injury rate of 0.765 per 1000 patient day. The suspicion was that the pressure injury rate was actually higher than reported and there was generalized lack of knowledge about the resources and treatment options available for pressure injury. The implementation of the Wound Treatment Associated (WTA) program was proposed to address CWOCN access and promote pressure injury education and prevention. Method: In January of 2015 the WTA program was initiated beginning with 16 inpatient hospital nurses. The WTA program continued on a biannual basis and broadened to outside agencies including home health agencies and other regional hospitals. This resulted in engagement of the hospital nursing staff and skin champions on each of the individual units of the hospital including the OR. WTA nurses are now an active part of the Skin Wound Assessment Team (SWAT) and play an active role in protocol and guideline development as well as becoming resources for individual units and extensions of the in-house CWOCN. Program development with the WTA and SWAT team has included protocol and guideline development, product trialing, enhancement of wound documentation in the EMR and ownership of unit related pressure injury reduction strategies. Our pressure injury rate was noted to increase with the implementation of the program as a more educated and knowledgeable nursing staff completed the prevalence studies. With more WTA trained staff and the implementation of pressure injury reduction programs the pressure injury rate has significantly decline. Result: Current pressure injury rates have reduced to 0.52 a 32% reduction. A total 119 nurses, physical therapists and surgical nurse practitioners and physician assistance have completed the program, 55% from within our healthcare system.