Preventing Pressure Ulcers (2 CEU’s)

INTRODUCTION
A pressure ulcer or bed sore is an injury to the skin caused by constant pressure over a bony area which reduces the blood supply to the area. Pressure sores, also called decubitus ulcers or bed sores, are a big problem in hospitals, nursing homes and patient homes.  Nursing home residents and patients who cannot easily reposition themselves are often susceptible to this condition and need special care. Pressure ulcers can be dangerous and painful for a resident, in part because broken skin can allow infection into the body. If untreated, pressure ulcers can deepen and even expose the bone. Deeper ulcers may be hard to heal or may not heal at all. Sometimes, pressure ulcers can lead to death.

The Problem of Pressure Ulcers
Each year, more than 2.5 million people in the United States develop pressure ulcers. These skin lesions bring pain, associated risk for serious infection, and increased health care utilization. Moreover, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) no longer provides additional reimbursement to hospitals to care for a patient who has acquired a pressure ulcer while under the hospital’s care

Learning Objectives:
After taking this class, the nurse assistant will be able to:

1. Discuss the reasons why patients and residents develop pressure ulcers.
2. Incorporate preventive measures into one’s role as a nursing assistant to prevent pressure ulcers.
3. Recognize the implications of pressure injuries on patient quality of life and healthcare costs

Instructions for taking the course

To complete the course successfully, you must go through all the lessons below. You MUST mark each lesson as complete by clicking the MARK COMPLETE BUTTON. If you do not click the mark complete button, you will not be allowed to proceed to the next lesson. Please notice that all lessons have a minimum set amount of time that you are expected to spend on each lesson. You will not be allowed to Mark the Lesson Complete until the timer resets to zero; that is, until the minimum time set for the course has passed. For example, if lesson A has an allocated minimum time of 10 minutes, you will have to wait 10 minutes before you can mark Lesson A complete. The Mark Complete button for lesson A will be grayed out and will not become active until 10 minutes are over.

WARNING: If you forget to click the Mark Complete button done, you will be prompted to go back to that lesson again and have to wait till the allocated timed minutes resets to zero again before the Mark Complete button becomes active. After all lessons are completed and they are Marked Completed, you will then be allowed to take the post-test. If you successfully pass the quiz, you will earn CEUs for this course and you can proceed to print out your certificate.

LESSONS & QUIZ BELOW