Nurses Role In Prevention Of Bedsores Nursing Essay

Jogindra V., Suksham C., & Walia, I., (2004) Nurses’ Role in the Management and Prevention of Pressure Ulcers – A Study. Nursing Journal of India, May 2004

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This is a study which was conducted on 118 patients admitted on either a general medical ward or neuro-surgical ward. It is a generalized study but yielded much information regarding not only the nature of bedsores (pressure ulcers) but also the different ways of preventing them. Jogindra is a renowned scientist who deals with matters relating patient care and nursing.

In this study, it was revealed that 4.1% to 29% of patients get bedsore while hospitalized or even receiving medical attention at home. It also established that, the medical staff especially the nurses who are charged with the responsibility of maintaining patient care were responsible for letting such ulcers develop due to the patients complains they ignored or failure to observe the obvious pressure areas for redness or skin peeling off. Only 10% of nurses were observed to be inspecting patients of any swelling itching, swelling or decorations. It was revealed that, 20% of all the nurses were even not equipped with the right skills or experience of observing bedsores. Importantly quoted by this paper is the fact that, bedsores not only causes much pain to the patients, but also adds more work for the health care as they open opportunities for opportunistic infections leave alone the burden of treating them.

Clarke M., Phil H., & Kadhom M (2006). The nursing prevention of pressure sores in hospital and community patients. Journal of Advanced Nursing. Volume 13 Issue 3, Pages 365 – 373

This is a clear evaluation of nurses’ role in prevention of bedsores. Clarke did this study when she was a Ph. D student at the University of Hull. She pointed out the negligence to patients’ needs as the main cause of unnecessary bedsores. According to the patients she observed, it was revealed that, hospitalized patients are more vulnerable to bedsores (29%) than community patients (20%) thus putting nurses’ responsibility at question. Important finding of this study however was that, the nurses’ dedication to prevention of bedsores in terms of frequency of checking and time was directly proportional to the effectiveness and the expected outcome.

Filler J. (2002). Bedsores, what bedsores? BMJ 2002; 325:623 (21 September)

This article tries to confirm and affirm the fact that nurses’ role is paramount in either preventing bedsores or allowing them to prevail. It also highlights the fact that hospital care is prone to bedsores than it is expected in home/community care. It is an article written from patient’s point of view.

Nishi Kimie, Makino Kazuko &Oguri Sumiko. (2000) Algorithm use to evaluate bedsore care. Proceedings of the Research Society of Tokai for Stoma Rehabilitation. Vol.20; No.1; Page.54-58(2000)

The authors of this article are medical practitioners at the municipal hospital of Nakatsugawa. They developed a way of predicting the necessary intervention measures for either treatments or prevention of bedsores. Daily observation by the nursing staff is however vital in this prediction and the research revealed that much attention should be paid to the local care. Important of this research is the fact that it points out that pressure should be eliminated on time, promotes the use of skin care, and check on the nutritional needs of the patient.

Martha. R.N. (1930). Prevention of Bed Sores. American Journal of Nursing: October 1930 – Volume 30 – Issue 10 – ppg 1284

In this book, careful guidelines are given on how to attend patients to avoid and prevent bedsores. It is a form of description on the important steps which should be followed to attain a bedsore free recovery to patients bedridden and who can not change positions due to immobility and morbidity. Martha proposes lifting of the patient from the bed to a bathtub at least three times a week and keen observation of any pressure sores. Proposed is also the use of Dermalgen powder and oxide of Zinc powder to apply to suspected areas. If these steps are followed carefully, a very gratifying improvement of bedsores will be witnessed in a matter of weeks.

Angus W. Hughes (1986). Prevention of pressure sores in patients with fractures of the femoral neck. Injury. Volume 17, Issue 1, January 1986, Pages 19-22

Although this book centers on fractured patients, it highlight vital methods of prevention of bedsores at significant areas of the patient’s body. Written by a doctor and lecturer at the university Hospital of Nottingham, UK, this specific paper emphasized the use and effectiveness of ‘reston’ floatation pad in order to prevent bedsores occurring in specifically the sacral region of the hospitalized patients.

Shen Ying Luo, Ye (2009). Femoral neck fracture in elderly nursing pressure ulcer prevention. Retrieved on 21st July, 2010 from http://eng.hi138.edu/?i205732

This paper explores important causes of bedsores and proposes different mechanisms of preventing such wounds. This article however points out the nurses’ role in the prevention and management of these ulcers. Nurses are place in a position where they have the greatest responsibility of implementing the proposed mechanisms of preventing bedsores.

Gould Dinah (2006). Pressure sore prevention and treatment: an example of nurses’ failure to implement research findings. Volume 11 Issue 4, Pages 389 – 394

This book points out the existence of much text and research findings on the prevention and cure of bedsores. It however confronts the negligence of nursing staff and their failure to implement research findings. As a lecturer in nursing studies, Gould points out the little impact witnessed in the prevention of these wounds regardless of well established etiology of pressure sores. She proposes post basic teaching course and the incorporation of relevant materials in the nursing practice.

Rosenfeld, Jonathan (2010) Sometimes Complications with Nursing Home Patients Are Not Disclosed Until They Arrive at a Hospital.

The stakeholders in the nursing sector are not entirely to blame for the existence of bedsore in hospitalized patient regardless of the existence of literature suggesting how they can be avoided. The patient’s family or caretaker who brings them to hospital sometimes fails to provide vital information or complications when they take their loved ones to hospitals.