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Assessment Description
In this assignment, you will propose a quality improvement initiative from your place of employment that could easily be implemented if approved. Assume you are presenting this program to the board for approval of funding. Write an executive summary (750-1,000 words) to present to the board, from which the board will make its decision to fund your program or project. Include the following:

The purpose of the quality improvement initiative.
The target population or audience.
The benefits of the quality improvement initiative.
The interprofessional collaboration that would be required to implement the quality improvement initiative.
The cost or budget justification.
The basis upon which the quality improvement initiative will be evaluated.
You are required to cite a minimum of three peer-reviewed sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years, appropriate for the assignment criteria, and relevant to nursing practice.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.

The Use of Alternating Pressure Air Mattresses to Prevent Pressure Ulcers

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The Use of Alternating Pressure Air Mattresses to Prevent Pressure Ulcers

Introduction

The majority of individuals who develop pressure ulcers are people having health conditions that result in immobility, especially those confined to a chair or a bed for a long period of time. Pressure ulcers are also called pressure sores (Mervis & Phillips, 2019). They are localized injuries to the skill and underlying tissue that occurs when skin is subjected to constant pressure for some time. Pressure ulcers can develop anywhere in the body, however, they are more common on the bony body parts such as tailbones, elbows, ankles, and heels. Many strategies can be used to prevent pressure ulcers including the use of alternating pressure air mattresses (Ezeamuzie et al., 2019). In that regard, this paper discusses the use of alternating pressure air mattresses to prevent pressure ulcers.

The Purpose of the Quality Improvement Initiative

The quality improvement discussed in this paper is the use of alternating pressure air mattresses to prevent pressure ulcers. The healthcare organization has been experiencing increasing rates of pressure ulcers in the past month. These cases have escalated despite practicing frequent repositioning of the patients. The organization is using normal mattresses which are believed to be contributing to the escalating cases. Health professionals believe that alternating pressure air mattresses will be helpful (Ezeamuzie et al., 2019). Alternating pressure air mattresses are designed to balance the pressure inside and that on the surfaces of the body, hence, preventing pressure sores.

The Target Population or Audience

The target population is those at greater risk of developing pressure ulcers. They are inpatients with limited mobility such as those who are bedridden or those who spend much time in a wheelchair due to limited ability to move or turn around (Shi et al., 2021). These are a broader category of patients including those in ICU, those with spinal cord injuries, the elderly and very young, and hemodynamically unstable patients. These types of patients have higher chances of developing the health care problem, hence, are targeted in this intervention initiative.

The Benefits of the Quality Improvement Initiative

The quality improvement initiative is expected to result in more positive outcomes within the health care setting. Implementing alternating pressure air mattresses will be beneficial to both patients and the entire health care setting (Ezeamuzie et al., 2019). Pressure ulcers lead to prolonged hospital stays high cost of care and negative patient outcomes. Implementing alternating pressure air mattresses will help address all these problems. First of all, this quality improvement initiative will help prevent pressure ulcers, hence, reducing the incidences within the care facility (Shi et al., 2021). Also, cases of prolonged hospital stay due to pressure ulcers will reduce. Furthermore, the high cost of healthcare which is a burden to both the patient and the health care will be addressed. Patients and the facility will no longer incur financial burdens due to treatment of pressure ulcers and prolonged hospital stay (Ezeamuzie et al., 2019). Last but not least, the quality improvement initiative will improve patient outcomes as well as patient satisfaction.

The Interprofessional Collaboration That Would Be Required to Implement the Quality Improvement Initiative

All clinical staff working in the care facility are responsible for the quality improvement initiative. They must act promptly when something is not going on well as expected (Mervis & Phillips, 2019). However, the implementation team will be comprised of the director of nursing and quality, ward managers, some registered nurses, and the lead nurse. Others include a representative healthcare assistant, physicians, a physiotherapist, and an occupational therapist (Shi et al., 2021). All these healthcare professionals have special roles to play in the implementation of this program.

The cost or budget justification

The total budget for implementing the quality initiative will cost the facility approximately $230,000. To break down the budget, the facility requires 120 alternating pressure air mattresses and each is $1,500, which brings the total to $180, 000. Staff training is essential and will cost $20,000. Other implementation procedures or activities and miscellaneous are estimated to cost about $ 30,000. Other activities here include all the meetings held by the implementation team and evaluation processes.

The Basis Upon Which the Quality Improvement Initiative Will Be Evaluated

The primary reason why the quality improvement initiative is being implemented is to see the cases of pressure ulcers reduced by preventing the incidences. This will form the primary basis of evaluation (Shi et al., 2021). The ward records will be analyzed to determine the number of patients who developed new cases of pressure ulcers after the intervention implementation (Mervis & Phillips, 2019). If the cases reduce significantly then the intervention is effective. Also, interviews with patients and health workers will be conducted to gather their opinions and perceptions regarding the effectiveness of the intervention. Data gathered will be analyzed to reach an appropriate decision.

Conclusion

People with health problems that limit their ability to move and turn around have a higher risk of developing pressure ulcers. These incidences are common on bony areas of the body such as tail bones, ankles, and others. Pressure ulcers lead to a prolonged hospital stay, high cost of care, and bad patient outcomes. Therefore, it is critical to employ the necessary strategies to address the issue. An alternating pressure air mattress is one of the best methods of preventing pressure ulcers.

References

Ezeamuzie, O., Darian, V., Katiyar, U., & Siddiqui, A. (2019). Intraoperative use of low-profile alternating pressure mattress for prevention of hospital acquired pressure injury. Perioperative Care and Operating Room Management, 17(1), 100800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcorm.2019.100080.

Mervis, J. S., & Phillips, T. J. (2019). Pressure ulcers: Pathophysiology, epidemiology, risk factors, and presentation. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 81(4), 881-890. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2018.12.069

Shi, C., Dumville, J. C., Cullum, N., Rhodes, S., Jammali-Blasi, A., & McInnes, E. (2021). Alternating pressure (active) air surfaces for preventing pressure ulcers. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 5(5), CD013620. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013620.pub2