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Sunday, November 1, 2009
Learning Objective 1: differentiate skin tears from pressure ulcers
Learning Objective 2: list and describe care measures to prevent and treat skin tears
This prospective educational intervention research study identifies the existing knowledge base of a sample of 416 practicing acute care nurses regarding skin tears and evaluates the efficacy of an educational program designed to improve these nurses’ knowledge regarding skin tears including: (1) predisposing factors; (2) identification and assessment of skin tears using the Payne Martin Classification System; and (3) preventive care, treatment and documentation regarding skin tears. A pre-test baseline measurement of acute care nurses’ skin tear knowledge and a post-intervention post-test measurement of changes in these nurses’ skin tear knowledge were obtained following an on-line educational intervention. The web-based skin tear educational program was effective in delivering new knowledge to these nurses. Study results indicate a highly significant (p < .001) improvement between pre- and post-test scores for all three categories of skin tear knowledge studied: (1) identification and assessment of skin tears (97.1% to 99.1%); (2) the Payne Martin Classification system (83.4% to 94.9%); and (3) skin tear treatment (73.8% to 93.7%).
The results of this study demonstrate that there is a need to have a consistent skin tear identification tool and treatment protocol in place for standardized evidence-based practice among nurses in an acute care setting.