Perioperative nurses' knowledge of indicators for pressure ulcer development in the surgical patient population

Abstract

Despite focused attention to improve the quality and safety of patient care, and the financial impact pressure ulcers (PUs) can have on a health care provider or institution, evidence supports that PUs continue to occur in other patient populations during admission to the hospital. An example of a patient population in which evidence indicates that the development of PUs occurs, is patients who have a surgical procedure. The article discusses a project designed to identify potential knowledge deficits among perioperative nurses of indicators for PU development in the surgical patient population.

Keywords: Nursing; Perioperative nursing; Pressure ulcers; Technology in surgery; Ulcer measurement scale.