New Training Program Helps Hospitals Prevent Pressure Ulcers

Hospital quality improvement (QI) staff, patient safety officers and others now have a new resource to help reduce the number of pressure ulcers, also known as pressure injuries, in hospitals. AHRQ’s Pressure Injury Prevention in Hospitals Training Program can help prevent pressure ulcers. Data provided by hospitals that implemented the program showed a decrease in the average number of pressure ulcers that was sustained for one year. The program is designed for those who want to launch an evidence-based, structured pressure injury prevention initiative based on QI principles. Access the training program and implementation guide.

Pressure Injury Prevention in Hospitals Training Program

AHRQ developed the Pressure Injury Prevention in Hospitals Training Program to support the training of hospital staff on how to implement AHRQ’s Preventing Pressure Ulcers in Hospitals Toolkit. The content of the Training Program and supporting materials help hospitals become familiar with each of the components of the Toolkit and learn how to overcome the challenges associated with developing, implementing, and sustaining a pressure injury prevention program.

This content was developed from an AHRQ project that ran from 2014 to 2017. It is based on AHRQ’s Pressure Ulcer Prevention Toolkit and the experiences of 11 hospitals that participated in a 2-year pilot project of the Training Program. Hospitals participating in this pilot implementation of the Training Program and Toolkit reduced their hospital acquired Stage 2+ pressure injury rates and sustained these reductions for a year (the period of time over which hospitals were followed as part of this project).

The Training Program consists of a five-module, in-person training curriculum and a series of companion Webinars on specific topics related to pressure injury prevention. An Implementation Guide provides additional suggestions for how to use the Training Program and the Toolkit.

Implementation Guide

The Implementation Guide (MS Word, 997 KB) offers strategies and resources to assist hospital team leaders, practice facilitators, and quality improvement specialists interested in using AHRQ’s Pressure Injury Prevention in Hospitals Training Program and the associated Pressure Ulcer Prevention Toolkit to guide systematic quality improvement efforts related to hospital acquired pressure injury prevention. It includes:

A readiness assessment tool to help hospitals determine if they are ready to implement the change activities outlined in the Training Program and Toolkit.
A Roadmap for how to roll out the Training Program modules and companion Webinars in a systematic quality improvement effort focused on reducing hospital acquired pressure injuries.
A collection of additional resources that can be used to support implementation of the Training Program.
Examples of how hospitals have addressed common challenges encountered when doing quality improvement activities.

Curriculum Content

The training sessions are organized into five modules. Hospital implementation teams should access the modules in sequential order, view the recommended Webinars and supplemental resources, and complete the processes and tools outlined in the companion Implementation Guide.

Module 1: Understanding Why Change is Needed

Instructor Training Guide:
- View Module 1 Training Guide (HTML).
- Download Module 1 Training Guide (MS Word, 3.25 MB).
PowerPoint Slides:
- View Module 1 Slides (HTML).
- Download Module 1 Slides (PPT, 3.92 MB).
Additional Materials:
- Download Module 1 Tools—This tool should be completed in advance of training sessions (MS Word, 170.6 KB).
- Sustainment —AHRQ Pressure Injury Prevention Program Implementation Sharing Webinar.

Module 2: How To Manage Change

Instructor Training Guide:
- View Module 2 Training Guide (HTML).
- Download Module 2 Training Guide (MS Word, 2.75 MB).
PowerPoint Slides:
- View Module 2 Slides (HTML).
- Download Module 2 Slides (PPT, 2.68 MB).
Additional Materials:
- Download Module 2 Tools—These tools should be completed in advance of training sessions (MS Word, 190 KB).

Module 3: Best Practices in Pressure Injury Prevention

Instructor Training Guide:
- View Module 3 Training Guide (HTML).
- Download Module 3 Training Guide (MS Word, 3.84 MB).
PowerPoint Slides:
- View Module 3 Slides (HTML).
- Download Module 3 Slides (PPT, 5.8 MB).
Additional Materials:
- Download Module 3 Tools (MS Word, 1 MB).
- Assessing Patient Risk for Pressure Ulcers —Video.
- Conducting a Comprehensive Skin Assessment —AHRQ Pressure Injury Prevention Program Training Webinar.
- Using Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Tools in Care Planning —AHRQ Pressure Injury Prevention Program Training Webinar.
- Risk Factors for Pressure Injuries: Going Beyond Validated Instruments —AHRQ Pressure Injury Prevention Program Implementation Sharing Webinar.
- Device-Related Pressure Injury —AHRQ Pressure Injury Prevention Program Implementation Sharing Webinar.
- The Power of Nutrition for Pressure Ulcer Prevention —AHRQ Pressure Injury Prevention Program Implementation Sharing Webinar.
- Putting the Nutrition Guidelines into Practice for Pressure Injury Prevention —AHRQ Pressure Injury Prevention Program Implementation Sharing Webinar.

Module 4: How To Implement the Pressure Injury Prevention Program in Your Organization

Instructor Training Guide:
- View Module 4 Training Guide (HTML).
- Download Module 4 Training Guide (MS Word, 4.59 MB).
PowerPoint Slides:
- View Module 4 Slides (HTML).
- Download Module 4 Slides (PPT, 5.32 MB).
Additional Materials:
- Download Module 4 Tools (MS Word, 179 KB).
- Staff Roles and Training for Your Pressure Ulcer Prevention Program —AHRQ Pressure Injury Prevention Program Training Webinar.

Module 5: How To Measure Pressure Injury Rates and Prevention Practices

Instructor Training Guide:
- View Module 5 Training Guide (HTML).
- Download Module 5 Training Guide (MS Word, 3.56 MB).
PowerPoint Slides:
- View Module 5 Slides (HTML).
- Download Module 5 Slides (PPT, 3.25 MB).
Additional Materials:
- Download Module 5 Tools (MS Word, 166.8 KB).
- Wound Classification —AHRQ Pressure Injury Prevention Program Training Webinar.
- Measuring Pressure Ulcer Rates and Prevention Practices —AHRQ Pressure Injury Prevention Program Training Webinar.
- Measurement —AHRQ Pressure Injury Prevention Program Implementation Sharing Webinar.

Webinar Content

Training Webinars
Learning Network Webinars
Video

Page last reviewed October 2017
Page originally created September 2017

Internet Citation: Pressure Injury Prevention in Hospitals Training Program. Content last reviewed October 2017. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/systems/hospital/pressureinjurypxtraining/index.html