Many patients that stay at the hospital have various skin conditions of different severity. It is essential to be aware of them and ensure that they are well-managed and do not create problems for the patient. Moreover, for patients with low mobility, such as those in long-term care, the risk of developing skin issues exists that would complicate their condition. Depending on the skinâs conditions, the risks of wounding and infection may emerge. Prevention and management of such problems is also a critical component of nursing and should be addressed.
In patients staying in a long-term care facility, does the application of glycerin and petrolatum formulations as opposed to those that do not contain these substances reduce the number of skin tearing incidents over 6 months?
P– (patient population/patients of interest): patients staying in a long-term care facility I– (Intervention): the application of glycerin and petrolatum formulations C– (Comparison): formulations that do not contain these substances O– (Measurable outcome): reduce the number of skin tearing incidents T– (Time frame in months): over 6 months
Overall, skin tearing appears to be a significant problem in hospitals that they struggle to minimize or eliminate effectively. Applying moisturizers twice a day appears to be an effective solution for reducing tearing, though it is not sufficient at eliminating the problem on its own. Additionally, solutions containing glycerin and petrolatum appear to be more effective than many of the commonly employed alternatives at various healthcare facilities. The committee should consider evaluating the concept further and possibly implementing it to enhance the quality of its skin integrity management.
Annotated bibliography
Lichterfeld-Kottner, A., El Genedy, M., Lahmann, N., Blume-Peytavi, U., BĂźscher, A., & Kottner, J. (2020). Maintaining skin integrity in the aged: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 103. Web.
This evidence was chosen because it is a comprehensive analysis of research on skin integrity and interventions that may be used to address it.
Brooks, J., Cowdell, F., Ersser, S. J., & Gardiner, E. D. (2017). Skin cleansing and emolliating for older people: A quasiâexperimental pilot study. International Journal of Older People Nursing, 12(3). Web.
This evidence was chosen because it was a practical trial of low-cost skin tearing interventions.
Finch, K., Osseiran-Moisson, R., Carville, K., Leslie, G., & Dwyer, M. (2018). Skin tear prevention in elderly patients using twice-daily moisturizer. Wound Practice & Research: Journal of the Australian Wound Management Association, 26(2), 99-109. Web.
This evidence was chosen because it was a practical trial of skin moisturizers that had valuable implications for their effective application.