Date of Doctor of Nursing Practice Project Completion
Spring 5-24-2026
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Coghlan Robert
Abstract
Pressure injuries acquired in the hospital continue to be a major concern in patient safety among critically ill populations. The purpose of the quality improvement project was to improve nursing compliance with pressure injury prevention strategies among postoperative patients in a cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU). Patients who undergo cardiovascular surgery are at a high risk of developing pressure injuries due to immobility, sedation, vasopressors, and prolonged positioning on their backs. The quality improvement project was carried out in a 37-bed CVICU using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Model for Improvement and Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) cycles. Data on nursing repositioning compliance and pressure injury incidence were collected before implementing the intervention. The intervention was staff education and the implementation of a repositioning protocol when patients were hemodynamically stable. Nursing compliance was monitored through a chart audit and observation. After three months of implementing the intervention, nursing compliance was seen to increase from 37.4% to 65.7%. At the same time, pressure injury incidence was reduced from 31 to 13 cases. This suggests that a repositioning protocol and staff education can improve nursing compliance and pressure injury incidence among critically ill postoperative patients. The findings of the project also suggest the importance of structured pressure injury prevention strategies and monitoring to improve patient outcomes and strengthen pressure injury prevention practices in the CVICU.
Keywords
Cardiovascular Intensive care unit, pressure injury, quality improvement
Recommended Citation
Chingyi Lam, "Improving nursing compliance with pressure injury prevention in postoperative patients in the cardiovascular intensive care unit" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract. 169.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/dnp_abstract/169