An eLearning modular approach to pressure ulcer

Scientific Communication
adrid · Spain
EWMA n GNEAUPP 2014
Submitted to the EWMA
Journal, based on a presentation given at a free paper
session (Free paper session:
Pressure Ulcers) at the
EWMA · GNEAUPP 2014,
Madrid.
Rosie Cameron
MBA, BA, Tissue Viability
Project Lead, NHS GGC
An eLearning modular
approach to pressure
ulcer prevention and
management: the views
of nursing staff
INTRODUCTION
Pressure ulcers are a significant burden both financially and in terms of health-related quality of life.
In response to a growing regard for pressure ulcers
as preventable causes of harm, the Scottish government has been involved in the ongoing development of comprehensive quality-improvement
programmes encompassing standardised pressure
ulcer-prevention packages and the adoption by
some health boards of a “Zero Tolerance” mantra
regarding avoidable pressure damage (NHS HIS
20111.
There is recognition that a key intervention
in the successful achievement of this aim is staff
education; however, traditional methods of delivery in pre and post registration nursing are not
always adequate2-4. Although there is a shortage of
literature exploring the application of eLearning in
the healthcare setting, proposed benefits include:
convenience, flexibility, compatibility with different learning styles, and cost effectiveness, particularly in the delivery of education programmes
on a mass level 4,5
HYPOTHESIS/AIM
This paper considers the views of nursing staff
on the proposed effectiveness of an eLearning
education package for pressure ulcer prevention
and management interventions in NHS Greater
Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC).
METHODS
In NHSGGC, a modular eLearning education
package for pressure ulcer prevention and man
Angela Rodgers
BSc Specialist Nursing
Paediatric, RGN, Dip HEN
Child Branch, Tissue
Viability Nurse, NHS GGC
agement was developed by members of the Tissue Viability Team to support staff involved in
patient-care delivery and to ensure education on
a level that supports the achievement of targeted
quality-improvement outcomes. The programme
was based upon existing NHSGGC education
frameworks and incorporated into LearnPro
NHS, a web-based system that records module
completion and assessment, and meets the requirements for both mandatory and role-specific
training. A small group of nursing staff was randomly selected from across various clinical areas
and skill levels, to test the pilot modules prior to
implementation. A qualitative questionnaire was
used to obtain a formal evaluation of experience
upon module completion. The final module content was adapted and implemented according to
relevant feedback from the pilot evaluation.
RESULTS
The uptake for pilot module completion across
NHSGGC was 100% of the pilot group, and
informal feedback from clinical staff was largely
positive. The majority of staff expressed a favourable attitude towards eLearning as a concept, although a small number reported feeling uncertain
about their skills in utilising it fully. The reported
barriers to utilising eLearning mainly included
barriers associated with resources including: time,
computer availability, and lack of IT support. The
majority of participants believed the pressure ulcer
content of the modules to be relevant and sufficient; however, a small number reported finding
the subject matter too basic in relation to their
clinical role and level of individual knowledge.
Lynn Welsh
MA, BSc (Hon), RGN, Adult
Community Vascular Specialist Nurse, NHS GGC
Katrina McGown
Adult Acute Tissue Viability
Nurse, NHS GGC
On behalf of NHS GGC
Tissue Viability Service.
NHSGGC Tissue Viability
Department Centre for Brain
Injuries
70 Commercial Rd
Gorbals, Glasgow
Scotland G5 0QZ
Correspondence:
Lynn.welsh@
ggc.scot.nhs.uk
Conflicts of interest: None

EWMA Journal 2015 vol 15 no 1
61
CONCLUSION
The Tissue Viability Team found eLearning to be
a useful supplement to traditional delivery methods of pressure ulcer prevention and management;
however, a marked challenge was the delivery of
theoretical content that was suitable for clinical staff
with varied knowledge and skill sets across a large
organisation. Future recommendations for practice
include auditing the incidence of pressure damage
in NHSGGC to critically analyse the direct impact
of eLearning education upon patient outcomes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Robert McIlreavy and Learn Pro Development
Team
REFERENCES
1. Ashton J, Price P. Survey comparing Clinicians’ wound healing knowledge
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2. Gerkin KL, Taylor TH, Weatherby FM. The perception of learning and
satisfaction of nurses in the online environment. J Nurses Staff Dev
2009;25(1):E8-13.
UPCOMING EWMA
INITIATIVES
Antimicrobial Stewardship in Wound Care Programme
The overall aim of the stewardship programme is to
reduce inappropriate and overuse of antimicrobials in
wound care by promoting, facilitating, and teaching
good antimicrobial use practices. The programme builds
on three key objectives and program deliverables:
n Development of treatment recommendations
n A practical guide for implementation of
antimicrobial stewardship
n Execution of educational events
3. Mazzoleni MC, Maugeri C, Rongoni C, Cantoni A, Imbriani M, Maugeri S. Is
it worth investing in online continuous education for healthcare staff? Stud
Health Technol Inform 2012;180: 939-43.
4. NHS Health Improvement Scotland (2011) Preventing Pressure Ulcers
Driver Diagram and Change Package. http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/ programmes/patient_safety/tissue_viability.aspx {accessed3/12/13}.
5. Stephen-Hayes J. Pre-registration nurses’ views on the delivery of tissue
viability. Br J Nurs 2013;22(20):18-23.
Document: Health-Related Quality of Life – the
Patient’s Perspective
The EWMA Council has recently decided to initiate a
project to highlight the importance of evaluating the
patient´s HRQoL in relation to wound management.
The primary objective of this project is to develop recommendations for use of the available HRQoL assessment
tools for wound care patients.
Document: Oxygen Therapies Guidance
The EWMA Oxygen Therapies Guidance Document will
provide practice-oriented guidance on the current use of
various forms of oxygen therapies for wound treatment.
This will include an overview of the available treatment
options, and an assessment of the best available evidence for use.
Finally, the document will explore the main reasons behind the large differences in the use of oxygen therapies
for wound healing between the U.S.A. and Europe, and
the potential for increasing the use of oxygen therapies
in Europe.
Read more about upcoming EWMA initiatives at
www.ewma.org.