Join our next EBN Twitter Chat on Wednesday the 15th of November 2017, 8-9pm UK time which will focus attitudes towards pressure ulcers, and will be hosted by Jimmy Choo Lecturer at School of Healthcare, University of Leeds (@jimmychoo72).
Participating in the Twitter chat requires a Twitter account; if you do not already have one you can create an account at www.twitter.com. Once you have an account contributing is straightforward, you can follow the discussion by searching links to #ebnjc (the EBN chat hash tag) and contribute by sending a tweet (tweets are text messages currently limited to 140 characters), you need to add #ebnjc to your tweet as this allows everyone taking part to view your tweets.
Category 1 pressure ulcer 
Category 2 pressure ulcer
I recently delivered a pressure ulcer (also known as bed sores) session to first year undergraduate mental health nursing students. One of the most common questions students and researchers/academics (nurse researchers even) ask is: `Why the focus on pressure ulcers’? I even had a comment a couple of years ago by a collaborator abroad – `…..well, you see Jimmy, this area of research (i.e. pressure ulcer) is not as critical a topic as diabetes for example because pressure ulcer doesn’t kill, does it?’ Although I can’t remember my exact response but I definitely had to reign myself in before blurting a plethora of reasons of why we should `bother’. And as with all good nurses out there, it’s a moot point to reflect on and unpick the salient issues raised and more importantly, asking the difficult question such as our (nurses and healthcare professionals alike) attitudes towards pressure ulcers.
Over the years, I have tried to get involved in public engagement events to raise awareness about pressure ulcer and some of the young people I have spoken to had some experiences albeit not direct personal physical of someone with a pressure ulcer. It made me realise that as nurses, whilst it has been a privilege to be involved in direct, deeply personal care of patients, it is equally important to engage in health awareness and public engagement event as part of our duty of care.
It is timely with World Stop Pressure Ulcer day 16 November 2017 to debate some of the issues and ultimately help raise the awareness of pressure ulcers:
- What is a pressure ulcer?
- Is there a gold standard definition?
- Is blister a pressure ulcer? Is skin tear a pressure ulcer??
- Why do we bother focus on pressure ulcer management and research ?
- Can you die from pressure ulcers?
- Who are at risk of developing a pressure ulcer?
- Am I at risk?
- Is it always preventable?
- Who is responsible in preventing pressure ulcers?
- Nurses?
- Doctors?
- Patients??
Resources
Pressure Ulcer definition and guidelines (including translation to other languages)
World Stop Pressure Ulcer day 16/11/17
-how you can get involve
-logo
-support materials
Pressure ulcer reporting/monitoring
Pressure ulcer guidelines on seating
Pressure ulcer consensus document on reporting
If you are in Leeds, please come and visit our stall at the event later this week on the 17/11/17 in Parkinson Building, University of Leeds as part of the `Nurses on the Frontline of Wound care’ conference
Conference Details
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nurses-on-the-frontline-of-wound-care-conference-tickets-39079464731
For tickets: