Guidelines: Pressure Injury Prevention Resource Guide of Best Practices

Using This Guide

Implementing and managing a pressure injury prevention program is a time-consuming and resource-dependent process. Moreover, it is sometimes difficult to find the appropriate resources among the vast amount of information that is available. This “Pressure Injury Prevention Resource Guide” has been created with the intent of consolidating that information and presenting resources and tools that utilize evidence-based best practices and support the pressure injury prevention efforts in Pennsylvania acute care hospitals and health systems.

This guide is organized into seven categories of resources that address seven different opportunities for pressure injury prevention in the acute care setting. New to this revised edition are resources and links to assist in the accurate assessment of darkly pigmented skin. Unrecognized damage arising from pressure injuries in people with darkly pigmented skin can lead to worsening stages, prolonged periods of hospital stay, deterioration in patients’ physical and psychological well-being, increased risk of lawsuits, and elevated costs for health care services. Therefore, there is a need to improve skin assessment skills among clinicians, as well as guidance on integrating pressure injury best practice in the health care setting.

HAP believes that using these resources will help to support hospitals’ efforts in the prevention of hospital-acquired pressure injuries. We encourage hospitals to dig further into the resources, as there are many other helpful documents and information available. Just as important, however, is that we operate within the spirit of an “all teach/all learn” environment and share our successes and suggestions for improvement with one another. When moving through this guide, please contact us with any questions or concerns that you may have or any successes that you have had while utilizing a particular resource. This will help us to improve this document and highlight the source as a vibrant resource in your arsenal of pressure injury prevention tools.

As always, we thank you for all your efforts in developing and sustaining a culture of patient safety in your hospitals.

Janette Bisbee, MSN, RN-BC, CPXP, NHA
HAP Project Manager, Quality Initiatives

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Topics: Quality Initiatives

Revision Date: 9/9/2024

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