Pressure Ulcer Prevention (Acute)

The aim of this module is to provide you with a good basic knowledge of pressure ulcer management, including:

• The causes of pressure ulcers: how and why they occur, and which types of patients are most vulnerable to them
• Current best practice in preventing the development of pressure ulcers
• How to treat a pressure ulcer when it first appears.

Course Content:

• Introduction
• What is a ‘pressure ulcer?
• What causes pressure ulcers?
• Assessing pressure ulcers
• Repositioning techniques
• Managing a Category 1 ulcer

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• State when and why pressure ulcers can occur
• Describe the category scheme for pressure ulcers and the implications of that scheme
• Describe the types of people most vulnerable to pressure ulcers
• List the possible consequences of failing to treat a pressure ulcer effectively at the earliest opportunity
• Describe various means of preventing the development of pressure ulcers
• Describe the most effective means of treating a pressure ulcer as soon as it is identified.

This module is intended for all those working in a clinical/hospital setting, and particularly for nurses/doctors who are in day-to-day contact with their services users.

It is not intended to deal with the wounds caused by pressure ulcers at categories II, III and IV.