Date of Award
Spring 2026
Document Type
Project – Full Written
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Committee Chair
Melissa McNeilly
Abstract
Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) are preventable complications that significantly increase patient morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and healthcare costs, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs). At a rural 146-bed hospital, the ICU pressure injury rate of 1.17 per 1,000 discharges exceeded the national benchmark of 0.58 per 1.000 discharges, identifying a critical gap in prevention practices. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aimed to improve ICU nurses' knowledge of pressure injury prevention and reduce unit-based educational intervention grounded in Patricia Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory and implemented using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) quality improvement framework.
A pre-and post-intervention design was used to evaluate knowledge acquisition. Of approximately 80 eligible ICU nurses, 26 (32.5%) completed both the pre-test and post-test following a 20–25-minute self-paced educational module delivered over a 4-week period. The 10-item knowledge assessment evaluated pressure injury staging, risk identification, Braden scale application, and ICU-specific prevention strategies. Post-intervention results demonstrated improved knowledge among participating nurses. Unit data showed a 27.3% reduction in pressure injuries post-intervention. Findings suggest that focused, unit-based nursing education may strengthen prevention practices and positively influence clinical outcomes in critical care settings.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Tijuana M., "Combating Pressure Injuries in Critical Care: A DNP Project on Nursing Education and Prevention Strategies in the ICU" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 164.
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/nursing-dnp/164
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