Reduced risk of pressure injuries in hospitals with WOC certified nurses

Editor's Note

Hospitals that employ nurses certified in wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) care have lower rates of hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs), finds this study.

Of 928 hospital included in the analysis, 36.6% employed WOC certified nurses. Hospitals with WOC certified nurses had lower HAPI rates and better pressure injury risk assessment and prevention practices. Stage 3 and 4 HAPI occurrences were nearly half the rate of hospitals not employing these nurses (0.51%).

WOC certified nurses are an important factor in achieving better HAPI outcomes in acute care settings, the researchers concluded.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the (a) number and types of employed WOC certified nurses in acute care hospitals, (b) rates of hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), and (c) effectiveness of WOC certified nurses with r...