Nursing interventions to prevent pressure injuries among elderly residents in nursing homes

Abstract

Abstract Pressure injuries commonly known as bedsores or pressure ulcers are localized damages to the skin or underlying tissue, resulting from prolonged pressure or friction. These injuries are a significant concern in healthcare industry, particularly in nursing homes or long-term care facilities where elderly people reside. Elderly residents are highly susceptible to get pressure ulcers due to factors like immobility, poor nutrition, and multiple comorbidities. Despite the high prevalence and severe impact of pressure injuries, including increased healthcare costs and individual’s suffering, they are mostly preventable through evidence-based interventions. In both prevention and prevalence of pressure injuries, the role of nurses is pivotal since nurses are at the forefront of healthcare delivery. The provision of evidence-based and comprehensive nursing care has markedly decreased the occurrence of pressure ulcers in elderly residents. The aim of the study is to explore the interventions that nurses can do to prevent pressure injuries in elderly residents from nursing homes. A literature review was conducted, and all data were collected from three databases: CINAHL Ultimate (EBSCO), Medline (EBSCO), and PubMed databases. A total of 300 articles were initially identified and six articles were reviewed and analyzed using content analysis approach. Three main categories were emerged: pressure ulcer risk assessment and prevention strategies, utilization of evidence-based guidelines and innovative technologies, and organizational factors related to implementation of nursing intervention. In conclusion, the use of various assessment tools to predict pressure ulcer prevalence, along with the establishment and implementation of evidence-based preventive measures, are critical to prevent pressure ulcers. Furthermore, the integration of innovative technology for continuous monitoring and timely management, regular repositioning, adequate nursing staffs, effective communication, comprehensive documentation, and multi-professional collaboration are essential interventions that nurses can do to prevent pressure ulcers among elderly residents. The author suggests that the future research to explore the development of integrated pathways for multiprofessionals’ involvement to tackle the complex issues in pressure injury prevention and to explore the integration of real-life monitoring technologies with extended repositioning intervals to enhance the residents’ comfort while preventing the pressure ulcers.