As a new grad, staging pressure ulcers/wounds was a struggle for me until I joined the wound care team of my hospital. Quarterly, they participated in the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) survey for Pressure Ulcer Rate - Process and Outcome to determine if it was community-acquired or hospital-acquired, or unit-acquired. NDNQI is database that measures nursing quality. It is the only national, nursing quality measurement program which provides hospitals with unit-level performance comparison reports to state, national, and regional percentile distributions (NDNQI, 2010b, p. 2). It provides participant hospitals with nationals’ comparative unit level data for use in quality improvement activities and develops national data on the relationships between nurse staffing and patient outcomes, NDNQI, 2011). NDNQI data are used to show the impact nurses have on quality of care. These indicators are nursing sensitive, so they show how nursing care, such as good oral care, or skin care or the interventions that prevent patient falls, are so important to patient outcomes (Trossman, 2006). Most people are very familiar with HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) scores. The NDNQI is one way to document what we as nurses do. It is also a way to document what effect changes in staffing have on patient care (Nickitas, 2010, p.385).
During the survey, nurses were paired up and assigned to different units to assess patient’s skin and check for how well nurses are taking care of patients skin and documenting skin assessments upon admission. On the scheduled day for the hospital NDNQI event, just before nurses start the survey, we go over the link below to help us understand staging pressure ulcers/wounds and how to prevent it. I enjoyed going over the link. It has a wealth of information and each module is very helpful. My very good knowledge about skin assessment was as result of participating in the NDNQI survey and completing the modules. As you transition to the United States, completing these modules will actually help with understanding how to access and document skin assessment including heat to toes assessments as well. Please complete the module by using the instructions below.
https://members.nursingquality.org/NDNQIPressureUlcerTraining/
Click on the link above, then click on Begin. The next page requires just your name, last name and email address. Complete Module 1-4, take the post test and receive Contact hours.
Good Luck!
Ijeoma Enweana
