Over time, healthcare professionals seek ways of improving their practice through extensive research. The goal of using analysis is to produce pieces of evidence that would yield a better outcome, especially in the health care practice. In this paper, the objective is to is to eliminate any flawed practices related to pressure ulcer prevention in favor of those practice showing evidence that would yield a better outcome. Specifically, this paper sought to identify the effectiveness of nutrition support in preventing pressure ulcer among bedridden patients in hospitals over three weeks.
Based on numerous pursuits, nutritional support for the prevention of pressure ulcer is effective. However, this investigation also revealed that while the development of pressure ulcer may not be prevented entirely, the onset and progression may be delayed or reduced if nutritional support is initiated early. Thus, early detection and management of pressure ulcer especially among high-risk patients are very critical.
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Summary of Findings
In many clinical and evidence-based research, it was found that adequate nutrition help in preventing the development of pressure ulcer. Furthermore, nutritional support also facilitates the healing process of pressure ulcers. Among the significant findings that validate the effectiveness of nutritional support in preventing and healing pressure ulcer among selected high-risk patients include:
Pressure ulcer was avoided using nutrition support intervention compared with the standard of care (Banks, Graves, Bauer & Ash, 2013, p.46).
Nutrition is a crucial player in wound treatment for individuals with PrU’s or chronic wounds (Posthauer, 2013, p.21).
The importance of early detection of undernutrition and rectification of nutritional deficits to help promote healing and improvement of the quality of life (Posthauer, 2013, p.21).
The amount and type of nutritional support must always be complimentary with the medical goals and the patient’s needs and desires (Posthauer, 2012, p.21).
Enteral dietary support can diminish the progression of pressure ulcers in high-risk patients (Blanc et al., 2015, p.160).
Nutritional supplementation with arginine, zinc, and antioxidants manifested improved pressure ulcer healing (Cereda, Klersy, Serioli, Crespi and D'Andrea, 2015).
According to these findings, proofs that through adequate nutrition the prevention and quick healing of pressure ulcer is an effective intervention. Pieces of evidence showed how pressure ulcers had been successfully prevented, managed and controlled through this proposed intervention.
An actual example of the efficacy of nutritional support in pressure ulcer prevention was well-documented in 2002-2003 in many Queensland public hospitals. The experiment that was conducted revealed that pressure ulcer was avoided using the nutrition support intervention compared with the standard of care as manifested in the mean 2896, SD 632 ((Banks, Graves, Bauer & Ash, 2013, p.46). On the other hand, failure to implement adequate nutritional support in the management of pressure ulcer led to the slow healing process of the ulcer as it fails to facilitate the quick closure and drying of the ulcer (Blanc et al., 2015, p.161).
Dissemination Strategy
Implementing change is not always easy. Some would still resist change thinking that it might involve a lot of resources to achieve the necessary changes. Since a nurse’s resources are often limited, the best way to campaign for a cause is to seek for NGO’s and other private organizations who share the same advocacy. Usually, these organizations conduct free seminars and conferences which the hospitals can take advantage of to institute information drive. Furthermore, considering that there is no invasive procedure needed to implement this intervention. Perhaps coordinating with the hospital dietician and those who prepare the patients’ meals can help prove the effectiveness of the proposed intervention. However, it will be best to record and keep track of the difference between the traditional system versus the intended response.
As mentioned earlier, opposition and resistance cannot be avoided. It is best to address these concerns with statistics. Numbers cannot lie. If facts support a claim, it would be difficult for others to ignore or disqualify its effectiveness. They would at least try to give it a fair try before they can resist or ignore it.
Reference
Banks, M., Graves, N., Bauer, J., & Ash, S. (2013). Cost effectiveness of nutrition support in the prevention of pressure ulcer in hospitals. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition , 67 (1), 42-46. DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2012.140
Blanc, G., Meier, M., Stocco, J., Roehrs, H., Crozeta, K., & Barbosa, D. (2015). Effectiveness of Enteral Nutritional Therapy in the Healing Process of Pressure Ulcers: A Systematic Review. Revista Da Escola De Enfermagem Da USP , 49(1), 152-161. doi: 10.1590/s0080-623420150000100020
Carter, R., & Lecko, C. (2018). Supporting evidence-based practice in nutrition and hydration. Wounds UK , 14 (3), 18-21.
Cereda, E., Klersy, C., Serioli, M., Crespi, A., & D'Andrea, F. (2015). A Nutritional Formula Enriched with Arginine, Zinc, and Antioxidants for the Healing of Pressure Ulcers. Annals of Internal Medicine, 162(3), 167-174. DOI: 10.7326/m14-0696
Melnyk, B., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2015). Evidence-based practice in nursing and healthcare . Philadelphia, Pa. etc.: Wolters Kluwer.
Posthauer, M. (2013). Nutrition Strategies for Wound Healing. Journal of Legal Nurse Counselling , 23 (1), 15-21.
