Title of Your Paper (Should Reflect the Topic and be Same as Title on Nest Page)
Student Name no credentials
NSG 502: Advanced Nursing Research
Wilkes University, Passan School of Nursing
Instructor’s Name
Due Date
Title of Paper (Same as Title on Title Page)
Start all professional papers with an introduction. The heading is the title of the paper – Do not create a heading “Introduction”. The introductory paragraph should contain a mini-outline to tell the reader what your paper will be about. Include a thesis statement that tells the reader what you will discuss in your paper. The thesis statement identifies your main idea and provides a preview to the rest of your paper. The short paragraph or two should introduce the idea, create interest, and make the reader want to look more into the paper. The last sentence of your opening paragraph should contain a transitional sentence which moves the reader to the first paragraph of the body of the paper.
Background
Provide background information. This should be one or two paragraphs long and have references. History of the problem? What led up to it?
Significance
What is the current information on the topic? Why is it worthy of being researched? Why is this information important to nursing practice? What might happen if the problem is not solved?
Problem Statement
Provide a one sentence problem statement. It could start with, “The problem identified in this proposal is….”.
Purpose Statement
Provide a one sentence statement indicating the purpose of the proposal. It could start with “The purpose of this proposal is…..”.
PICOT Question
This could start, “The PICOT question is….”. Place (P) (I) (C) (O) (T) where it belongs in the question.
Conclusion
Academic papers should include a conclusion paragraph that briefly summarizes what was discussed in the paper. The conclusion does not introduce new information. The conclusion should restate the main idea or thesis statement of the manuscript, summarize the main points of the manuscript, and leave the reader with an interesting final impression. Include a short summary of paper thus far. This should include a few closing comments to tie all the information together. The current conclusion will be removed when added to Part 2, because at that point it will no longer be the end of the paper. There will be a new conclusion at the end of Part 2.
References
See APA resources on how to format references. Note that references begin on their own page, not on the last page of the body. The first line of each reference should be flush with the left margin (as is demonstrated here). Second and all other lines for each reference should be indented.
References should be double spaced with no extra spaces between them.
This should include title (Mr, Mrs, Ms., or Dr.—whichever is applicable).
The Use of Alternating Pressure Air Mattresses to Prevent Pressure Ulcers
Student Name no credentials
NSG 502: Advanced Nursing Research
Wilkes University, Passan School of Nursing
Instructor’s Name
Due Date
The Use of Alternating Pressure Air Mattresses to Prevent Pressure Ulcers
Pressure ulcers are serious patient safety issues in healthcare and can lead to detrimental health impacts when not properly addressed. Pressure ulcers have continued to remain an old global public health problem despite all advances in health care (Gaspar et al., 2019). These health conditions are also called pressure injuries. They are defined as sin injuries and/or localized underlying tissue damage over a bony area, as a result of pressure force and/or pressure and shear combined. In most cases, pressure ulcers are predictable and preventable when proper evidence-based interventions are put in place. The use of alternating pressure air mattresses is one of the strategies that can be employed to prevent this health condition. These special mattresses work by allowing proper pressure redistribution to prevent pressure injuries (Lavender et al., 2022). Regarding this, assesses whether alternating pressure air mattresses are effective in preventing pressure ulcers in hospitalized patients. The paper will cover background, significance, problem statement, purpose statement, and the PICOT question.
Background
Pressure ulcers are tissue damage that occurs as a result of external factors such as shear force, continuous pressure, and friction. This condition is an important aspect of nursing care in terms of the maintenance of skin integrity. According to Shi et al. (2020), pressure ulcer severity is classified using the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) system. Stage 1 includes intact skin with a local appearance of non-blanch-able erythema. Stage 2 is partial-thickness skin loss and exposed dermis. Stage 3 includes full-thickness skin loss (Shi et al., 2020). Stage 4 is full-thickness skin and tissue loss with visible muscle, tendon, fascia, ligament, cartilage, or bone. The next stage is unsaleable pressure injury, which is marked by full-thickness skin and tissue loss that is obscured by slough or eschar so that the severity of the injury cannot be confirmed (Shi et al., 2020). The last but not least stage is the deep tissue injury. This is described as a localized injury of persistent non-blanch-able deep red, purple, maroon discoloration or epidermal separation indicating a dark wound bed or blood-filled blister.
Pressure ulcers affect people globally across all healthcare settings. According to Shi et al. (2020), the estimated number of people affected by pressure injuries or bed sores in the USA, UK, Ireland, and Sweden is between 5.6 to 2300 per 10,000 based on the nature of the population surveyed. However, these incidences are preventable. Källman et al. (2022) described a study whose aim was to identify the prevalence and prevention strategies for pressure ulcers in Sweden. The study showed that the implementation of a national patient-safety program has had a positive impact on pressure injury prevalence and the occurrence of prevention strategies. According to Shi et al. (2020), alternating pressure mattresses have been proven helpful in reducing the proportion of patients developing new pressure ulcers. Meaume & Marty (2018) also carried out a study to investigate the effectiveness of alternating pressure ulcers. The authors reiterated that in high-risk patients using a motorized alternating pressure air mattress in the prevention group, only one in 30 patients developed pressure ulcers.
Significance
There are several reasons why this topic is important to patients, the healthcare system, and the entire community. The condition has detrimental health effects on the patients that need serious attention. Pressure ulcers can result in discomfort or pain due to tissue damage or ischemia (Kim & Shin, 2021). Pressure ulcers also cause physical problems that may lead to complications. This incident also leads to poor clinical outcomes, social problems, and psychological problems resulting from increased health costs. Källman et al. (2022) also state that pressure ulcers bring great suffering to people affected, as well as, a high cost to society. The shear and pressures often deform soft tissues that may result in cell death. Pressure ulcers lead to a prolonged hospital stay and poor patient prognosis. These health, social, and financial problems associated with pressure injuries make it a topic worth researching.
This information is important to nursing practice to improve patient safety and outcomes. A pressure ulcer is a nursing issue that indicates poor nursing strategies. Consequently, reducing the occurrence of these issues will improve nursing care and patient outcomes. Nurses will gain knowledge and apply evidence-based practice to improve patient care and outcomes. According to Kim & Shin (2021), practical guidelines and methods for preventing pressure injuries include skin assessment, changing position, and use of support surfaces such as alternating pressure air mattresses. The aim of nursing care is also to improve patient experience in terms of cost of care, length of hospital stay, pain relief, and others. Pressure ulcer prevention takes care of these areas by avoiding the high cost of care associated with the condition, improving general patient experience, and avoiding unnecessary pain associated with pressure injuries (Kim & Shin, 2021). Therefore, this information promotes quality nursing practices. If this problem is not addressed, patients will have a bad experience, increased costs of care, prolonged hospital stay, and increased pain related to pressure injuries.
Problem Statement
The problem identified in this proposal is the increasing rates of pressure ulcers within the healthcare facility. This is a serious health concern that must be addressed with the urgency it deserves (Lavender et al., 2022). In the identified care facility, more than 5 percent of the hospitalized patients had developed pressure ulcers. Without proper intervention, these incidences tend to get worse while the rates keep increasing. As mentioned above, Pressure ulcers are associated with detrimental health effects, including social and psychological problems (Lavender et al., 2022). Pressure ulcers are associated with an increased financial burden, prolonged hospital stay, pain, and generally bad patient experience.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this proposal is to examine the effectiveness of alternating pressure air mattresses in preventing pressure ulcers in hospitalized patients.
PICOT Question
The PICOT question is: in hospitalized patients with limited mobility (P), how does the use of alternating pressure air mattresses (I) compared to no intervention (C) affect the rates of pressure ulcers (O) within six months (T)?
Conclusion
This paper provided a proposal for a project that would assess the effectiveness of alternating pressure air mattresses to prevent pressure ulcer injuries among hospitalized patients. Pressure ulcers are injuries of the tissue due to pressure force and/or shear on the bony areas of the body. Pressure ulcers have detrimental health impacts on patients. They also cause social and psychological problems resulting from financial burdens and other factors. This information is significant to nursing practice because when used it can improve patient experience and outcomes. This paper covered the background, significance, problem statement, purpose statement, and the PICOT question.
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References
Gaspar, S., Peralta, M., Marques, A., Budri, A., & Gaspar de Matos, M. (2019). Effectiveness on hospital‐acquired pressure ulcers prevention: a systematic review. International wound journal, 16(5), 1087-1102. https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.13147
Kim, S. Y., & Shin, Y. S. (2021). A Comparative Study of 2-Hour Interface Pressure in Different Angles of Laterally Inclined, Supine, and Fowler’s Position. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(19), 9992. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18199992
Shi, C., Dumville, J. C., Cullum, N., Rhodes, S., & McInnes, E. (2020). Alternating pressure (active) air surfaces for preventing pressure ulcers. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020(5). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013620
Källman, U., Hommel, A., Borgstedt Risberg, M., Gunningberg, L., Sving, E., & Bååth, C. (2022). Pressure ulcer prevalence and prevention interventions–A ten‐year nationwide survey in Sweden. International wound journal, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.13779
Lavender, S. A., Kachlan, A., Pennells, S. E., & Spence, D. (2022). Evaluating the Efficacy of a New Alternating Pressure Air Mattress Aimed at Reducing Pressure Injuries During the Transport of Combat Casualties. Military Medicine, 0(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usac113
Meaume, S., & Marty, M. (2018). Pressure ulcer prevention using an alternating-pressure mattress overlay: the MATCARP project. Journal of wound care, 27(8), 488-494. https://doi.org/10.12968/jowc.2018.27.8.488
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