Question

The risk management plan of a nursing care center includes repositioning residents every two hours to prevent skin breakdown. At the end of the quarter, the director reports an increase in pressure ulcers for bedridden residents.

Which action will improve the effectiveness of this risk management plan?
A.) Hold a nurses' meeting to review admission screening
B.) Hire a consultant to review the repositioning guidelines
C.) Ask residents to report noncompliance of turning requirement
D.) Conduct a staff focus group to determine barriers to compliance

Answer 1

To improve the effectiveness of the risk management plan in preventing pressure ulcers, conducting a staff focus group to identify compliance barriers is a recommended action. It actively involves the staff who are responsible for repositioning residents and can lead to uncovering and solving the issue directly.

Step-by-step explanation:

The increase in pressure ulcers despite a risk management plan that includes repositioning residents every two hours suggests that there might be compliance issues with the current guidelines. One action to improve the effectiveness of this plan might be to conduct a staff focus group to determine barriers to compliance. This allows for direct feedback from the staff on challenges they face in repositioning residents, which could lead to practical solutions. It is a proactive approach that prioritizes finding the root causes of the issue directly from those involved in the care process.

Holding a nurses' meeting to review admission screening or hiring a consultant could be helpful as well; however, these actions may not directly address the compliance issue. Asking residents to report noncompliance could be useful too, but it places the onus on the residents who may already be vulnerable or unable to communicate effectively.