Professional Issues and Policies Assignment 2022

Running head: PROFESSIOANAL ISSUES AND POLICIES
PROFESSIONAL ISSUES AND POLICIES
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author notes

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES AND POLICIES1
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Discussion........................................................................................................................................2
Description of the policy.............................................................................................................2
Impact of the policy on the Australian healthcare system...........................................................3
Complications of pressure ulcer..................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................8

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES AND POLICIES2
Introduction
The bed sores, also called pressure ulcer or the decubitus ulcers are harm or injuries
caused to the skin and the tissues underlying the skin. The pressure ulcers forms because of
prolonged pressure on the skin and the probable areas for the pressure ulcers are the skin which
covers the bony areas of the body like heels, hips, ankles and tailbone. Patients who are suffering
from diseases which restrict their abilities to change their positions on bed or those who spend
most of the time in bed have risks of developing bed sores or pressure ulcers (Jackson et al.,
2016). People suffering from bed sores have chances of developing serious complications, so in
order to prevent the formation of bed sores, it is better for the nurses to follow the preventive
measures so that the patients do not develop pressure ulcers (Li et al., 2016). This assignment is
going to deal with the bed sore care policy and the different preventive measures need to be
followed by the patients in order to prevent themselves from developing the pressure ulcers. The
policy of ‘pressure injury prevention and management guideline’ is one of the well-known
policies which provide guidelines to prevent the patients from developing pressure injury,
pressure ulcer, wound care and skin integrity (Nguyen, Chaboyer & Whitty, 2015).
Discussion
Description of the policy
The policy of ‘pressure injury prevention and management guideline’ was developed by
Public Health and Clinical systems and was approved by SA Health Safety & Quality Strategic
Governance Committee on 20 December, 2012. This policy was again reviewed on 31July, 2016.
This policy are applied to All SA Health Portfolio All Department for Health and Ageing
Divisions All Health Networks CALHN, SALHN, NALHN, CHSALHN, WCHN, SAAS Other.

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES AND POLICIES3
The policy helps the nurses to identify the patients who are at high risk, to know the preventive
strategies for the injuries. The policy also guides the nurses to classify the pressure injuries, pain
assessments, pain and wound management. The prevention of bed sore or pressure ulcer also
comes under this policy. The prevention of bed sore involves the different way by which the
development of pressure ulcers or the bed sores can be prevented. The bed sores effect to that
part of the skin which covers the bony areas like elbows, knees, coccyx, heels and ankles. The
pressure ulcers are curable but if the treatment starts at a late stage then it can lead to fatal
complications. Some special facts regarding the bed sores are that they only effect skin area
which covers the bony regions only and to those people only who cannot move. The
development of the bed sores occurs through different stages, so it is very important to identify
the stage of the bed otherwise the doctors and the nurses will provide wrong treatment methods
(Liang et al., 2017).
Impact of the policy on the Australian healthcare system.
This policy has guided the nurses in identifying the stage at which the bed sore is. Proper
treatment is required in order to reduce the complications of the disease. There pressure ulcer
develop in four stages, at the first stage the skin will appear red and the patient will feel warm
and itchy at the site of the infection. In the second stage, a painful sore or blister may appear and
area behind the sore gets discolored. In the next stage, the patient will develop a crater like
appearance because of the damage in the tissue. In the fourth stage, the skin and the tissue gets
severely damaged possibly because of infection and the muscles, bones and tendons of that
specified area may get visible.
People belonging from all age group, who spend most of the time in bed have chances of
developing bed sores however the chances of development of pressure ulcers are more to the