Pressure Ulcers Nursing Intervention During Covid-19

My clinical site is the Adult Care center in California, which provides assistance to older adults, people with disabilities, or in need. The first intervention I learned in practice that week was the treatment and prevention of pressure ulcers. Many of the center’s patients have limited mobility, due to which they develop pressure sores. This week I was treating a second-degree pressure sore on an older man. According to Boyko et al. (2018), which I read earlier, hydrogel dressings are the most commonly used and effective for dry wounds. Since the patient has this type of wound, I suggested that the nurse use a hydrogel bandage. After a preliminary examination, the nurse agreed with my decision and reminded me to apply an additional bandage as fixation, since the hydrogel moves easily. The patient’s wound was due to the prosthesis, so I advised him not to use it until it heals and readjust the prosthesis later.

The difficulty faced by many adult care centers today is associated with the pandemic. Visitors must comply with all preventive measures such as distance, masks, and the use of antiseptics. Most visitors abide by these recommendations, but some early-stage dementia patients sometimes forget or protest them. For this reason, our staff has to explain the situation to them every time and insist on following the rules. Although such details are part of my day-to-day work, I still find it challenging to communicate and worry about the health of visitors who are at risk. In addition, other staff members and I feel constant pressure to fulfill this responsibility, as the center’s closure will lead to the fact that some elders will be left without support and care.

References

Boyko, T. V., Longaker, M. T., & Yang, G. P. (2018). Review of the current management of pressure ulcers. Advances in Wound Care, 7(2), 57–67. Web.