Date of Award

Spring 2025

Document Type

Project – Full Written

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Committee Chair

Tina Lewis

Abstract

Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) continue to be one of the biggest challenges healthcare facilities face which has required increased attention on prevention. The national cost of treating HAPIs ranges from approximately $3 billion to $22 billion annually and as a result, hospitals have faced a tremendous financial burden, which has led hospitals to strengthen reduction strategies (Padula & Delarmente, 2019). The aim of this evidence-based project was to increase nurses’ knowledge about HAPI prevention bundles and increase the compliance with a HAPI prevention bundle implemented within 8 hours of admission or transfer to the unit. The preventative HAPI bundle consists of a two-person initial skin assessment, implementation of redistributing specialty mattresses, application of prophylactic sacral foam dressing, WOCN, and nutrition consult implemented within 8 hours of admission or transfer to the unit. The project was guided by Kurt Lewin’s Change Theory, the intervention was evaluated by pre- and post-surveys and real-time audits. Post-implementation data showed a 17% increase in nurse and healthcare knowledge and a significant improvement in bundle compliance, with two-person skin assessment compliance rising from 36% to 100%. Despite the challenges in the application of sacral foam dressing and consult delays, no HAPIs were acquired during the implementation period. These findings affirm that targeted education and timely implementation of evidence-prevention bundles can enhance patient outcomes.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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