Fairlawn's Team Approach to Wound Care Brings Positive Results

    Rachel Bernzweig, OTR/L, and Sonja Cooley-Johnson, RN, of Fairlawn's Wound Care Team, confer during weekly wound care rounds.

    A team approach to patient wound care has brought positive results at Fairlawn. Since implementing a Wound Care Team in December of 2005, the rate of pressure wounds among Fairlawn patients has gradually declined from ten percent to zero percent.

    After identifying wound treatment as a hospital performance improvement goal, Fairlawn conducted a Wound Prevalence Study in which every patient was examined for (Stage II and above) pressure wounds that had developed since their admission to the hospital. Fairlawn then developed a Wound Treatment Team comprised of an occupational and physical therapist, nurse, dietitian, physician assistant, and nurse practitioner.

    The initiative includes:

    • Weekly wound care rounds in which the Wound Care Team conducts interdisciplinary assessments and treatment.
    • A designated RN on each patient floor who serves as a communication link between the Team and other clinical staff, ensuring that all patients who need wound care evaluations are seen by the Team.
    • Development of a wound care cart and wound care product formulary utilized during Team rounds.
    • Patient education

    Upon initiation of the Wound Prevalence Study in December of 2005, the hospital-wide wound rate was 10%. Following implementation of the Wound Care Team, subsequent studies, conducted at three-month intervals, brought results of 8%, 4%, 5%, and then 0% this past January.

    Mary Aleksiewicz, the hospital's Vice President of Nursing, believes the team treatment approach is at the heart of the positive results. "We're not looking only at treatment of the wounds. The team approach allows for a comprehensive assessment of the patient's pain and nutritional status as well as how issues involving seating, prosthetics, footwear, and other devices affect wounds," she said. "We're also teaching patients strategies for avoiding pressure wounds, which is especially important for a rehab facility because many of our patients go home at risk for wound breakdown."