Journal of wound, ostomy, and continence nursing : official publication of The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society
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J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs · Jul 2009
Prospective study: reducing pressure ulcers in intensive care units at a Turkish medical center.
The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of an educational intervention on the incidence of stage II pressure ulcers (PUs) in adult patients in intensive care units (ICUs) in a Turkish medical center. ⋯ Education regarding preventive care can be effective in reducing the incidence of PUs in the ICU setting. Therefore, education about risk assessment and PU prevention should be a priority for nurses in critical care settings.
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J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs · May 2009
Should WOC nurses measure health-related quality of life in patients undergoing intestinal ostomy surgery?
Ostomy surgery requires significant reconstruction of the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in uncontrolled passage of fecal effluent from a stoma in the abdominal wall. Concerns about creation of an ostomy often supersede all other concerns. Ostomy-related concerns include impaired body image; fear of incontinence; fear of odor; limitations affecting social, travel-related, and leisure activities; and impaired sexual function. Because the creation of an ostomy affects multiple domains within the construct of health-related quality of life (HRQOL), it is not surprising that quality of life is a frequent outcome measure in ostomy-related research. ⋯ There is sufficient research-based evidence to conclude that intestinal ostomy surgery exerts a clinically relevant impact on HRQOL, and that nursing interventions can ameliorate this effect. While a small number of instruments exist, including several that have proved valid and reliable in the research setting, no instrument has yet been adapted for routine in the clinical setting.
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J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs · Mar 2009
ReviewNursing interventions to reduce the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection: part 2: staff education, monitoring, and care techniques.
The US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has enacted 2 policies that have focused considerable attention on the optimal use of indwelling catheters in the acute and long-term care settings and the prevention of complications including catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). ⋯ Evidence from parts 1 and 2 of this Evidence-Based Report Card provides a sound basis for designing an evidence-based program to prevent CAUTI. Essential elements of a CAUTI prevention program include staff education, ongoing monitoring of CAUTI incidence, monitoring catheter insertion and ensuring prompt removal, and careful attention to techniques for catheterization and catheter care.