PREVENTING SKILL BREAKDOWN - NURSING PRACTICES, COSTS, AND OUTCOMES

The aims of this study were to identify patients at risk for skin brea kdown, to describe nursing interventions associated with the preventio n of skin breakdown, and to analyze the cost of supplies used to preve nt skin breakdown. An evaluation of nursing interventions used at thre e hospitals revealed that nurses used a variety of strategies for prev enting skin breakdown. However, greater expenditures an prevention str ategics did not improve outcomes and overuse of some items increased t he incidence of skin breakdown. Protocol-based preventive nursing inte rventions are necessary to provide a cost-effective approach to the ma intenance of skin integrity. Copyright (C) 1996 by W.B. Saunders Compa ny.