Pressure Injury Prevention & Treatment
- urologyxy
- Aug 6
- 5 min read
Elevating Standards in Skin Health and Incontinence Care
The Hidden Truth About Pressure Injuries
Pressure injuries (PIs) remain one of the most preventable yet misunderstood complications in modern care — especially for patients who are immobile, incontinent, or both.
This educational brochure series is built to inform, challenge, and support clinicians, caregivers, and skin health advocates with clear, actionable content. Each section explores a different angle of PI prevention, backed by expert consensus, clinical practice, and modern solutions.
What to Expect in This Series:
Debunking Common Myths in Pressure Injury Prevention
Understanding the 4 Risk Factors of Skin Breakdown
Expert Tips for Daily Prevention
The Crucial Role of Moisture — and Why It’s Overlooked
How to Build a Skin Champion Team
Caregiver Education: Bridging Knowledge Gaps
A Complete, Clinician-Recommended System That Works
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Busting Myths About Pressure Injury Prevention & Treatment!
MYTH #1:
"Applying a sacral dressing is enough."
FACT
Dressings are just one part of prevention!
Best Practice
Use a soft silicone multi-layered foam dressing along with other preventive
measures. Consider transparent dressings to monitor the skin without removal.
MYTH #2:
"Turning patients every 2 hours is the rule."
FACT
The latest guidelines recommend adjusting repositioning based on each patient’s
needs..
Best Practice
Factors like activity level, skin tolerance, comfort, and pain should guide
repositioning. Also, using the right support surfaces is essential.
MYTH #3:
"More skin care product = better protection."
FACT
Too much can actually cause harm!
Best Practice
Follow product instructions—excessive barrier creams can crack, letting moisture
in and increasing costs. But don’t underuse moisturizers, as skin needs full
coverage.
MYTH #4:
"CNAs just follow tasks."
FACT
CNAs play a crucial role in pressure injury prevention! They interact with patients
daily and can spot early signs of skin issue.
Best Practice
Trust and educate CNAs, giving them the confidence and knowledge to use the
right products the right way.
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Understand the 4 Key Factors of Skin Breakdown
Preventing pressure injuries begins with
awareness. When caregivers can recognize
the most common triggers of skin damage, they’re empowered to take action earlier and more effectively.
These are the 4 primary factors to skin breakdown:
Prolonged pressure
Friction
Shear
Moisture
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Key Challenges & Smart Interventions
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Expert-Recommended Tips for Preventing Pressure Injuries
Benefits of QuickChange® Wraps:
Moisture control: Absorbs and locks away urine, preventing skin maceration and irritation.
Skin protection: Helps reduce the risk of penile pressure ulcers by wicking moisture away and maintaining a dry environment.
Minimized disruption: Allows for quick changes without moving or turning the patient, reducing shear and friction.
Comfort and dignity: Promotes patient comfort while supporting caregiver efficiency.
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Building a Skin Champion Team & Best Practices
Forming a dedicated Skin Champion team has emerged as one of the most impactful strategies in advancing skin health and reducing pressure injuries.
These champions—often healthcare professionals
from varied disciplines—play a pivotal role in embedding evidence-based best practices into daily care routines.
Leadership Support: The Foundation for Success
Key to this process is presenting a clear plan—complete with SMART goals and a well-defined budget.
Specific: Clearly define desired outcomes
Measurable: Establish indicators for success
Attainable: Ensure team members feel the goals are realistic
Relevant: Align with organizational priorities
Timed: Include target deadlines for goal achievement
Establishing a High-Functioning Team
A five-step approach can guide institutions through building or revitalizing a Skin Champion team:
Spreading Awareness: Promote team roles through flyers, email, and staff outreach.
Inclusive Representation: Include members from all units for system-wide care continuity.
Operational Clarity: Define roles, goals, budget, and success in a team charter.
Promoting Visibility: Use branding and updates to boost recognition and engagement.
Sustaining Engagement: Share results, recognize efforts, and communicate consistently with members.
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Building a Skin Champion Team & Best Practices
Visual Tools: The Apple P.I.E. Method
To aid in pressure injury staging, the Apple P.I.E. visual
system offers a practical and memorable tool. Developed by Medline clinicians, it compares each pressure injury stage to the condition of an apple—helping caregivers easily recall and apply the correct staging in clinical practice.
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Making Caregiver Education Informative, Practical—and Fun
Engaging caregivers in pressure injury prevention can be challenging amid staffing shortages and burnout. Creative, accessible education strategies help keep skin health top of mind—even during the busiest shifts.
Do: Engage the Audience Creatively
Nontraditional education tactics can boost retention. One team uses bathroom stall posters for quick reminders, while others use playful analogies like comparing barrier cream application to painting a child’s face—not frosting a cupcake.
Do: Explain the “Why”
Helping caregivers understand why a task matters—like repositioning or dressing application—builds confidence and commitment. Education that connects protocol with purpose drives lasting behavior change.
Do: Diversify Learning Tools
Use online courses, printed tips, or short booklets. Some teams focus monthly huddles on pressure injury topics, followed by a 1-page tip sheet based on real challenges at the bedside.
Do: Use Simple Decision Trees
Visual algorithms or flowcharts help nurses quickly choose the right product or technique, like heel protectors or dressings.
Don’t: Reinvent the Wheel
Ready-made programs can accelerate team building and implementation. Leverage existing educational content and tools from partners like Medline.
Don’t: Go It Alone
Clinical partnerships, whether onsite or virtual, offer valuable insight. Discovery meetings can help identify gaps and recommend improvements to skin health strategies.
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A clinician-recommended system of products for PI prevention
QuickChange Wraps support a comprehensive approach to pressure injury prevention, addressing the four key contributing factors: pressure, shear, friction, and moisture.
By integrating supportive products that work together, clinicians can deliver better outcomes in patient care.
In addition to QuickChange Wraps, clinicians also use:
Ultra-Absorbent Dry Pads
Help maintain skin dryness by quickly drawing fluids away from the body
and locking them in to prevent skin breakdown.
30-Degree Positioning Wedges
Support proper offloading of the sacrum and hips by maintaining the NPIAP-
recommended lateral positioning angle.
Heel Offloading Devices
Completely suspend the heels to eliminate pressure and reduce shear — crucial
for preventing heel ulcers.
Repositioning Aids and Low-Friction Sheets
Reduce the effort needed to reposition patients while protecting fragile skin
from friction and shear forces.
Moisture-Wicking Sheets for Skinfolds
Keep intertriginous areas dry by absorbing excess moisture and minimizing
skin-on-skin friction.
Gentle Foam Dressings
Provide targeted protection for high-risk areas like the sacrum, redistributing
pressure while absorbing moisture and reducing friction.
Protective Skin Care Products
Use barrier creams and skin repair formulations to protect and restore skin in
moisture-prone or irritated areas.
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Protect Your Skin Health!
Download our Pressure Injury Prevention & Treatment brochure today to learn how to keep your skin safe and promote faster healing. Take the first step towards better care—click below to get your free copy now!
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