Hi ALL!!
OK, I'm not an idiot but I am a new RN and I currently, still, working in a nursing home. I was a CNA for about 8 years in LTC, Home health and also acute care. At my work place, we (nurses) do our own treatments daily and since I have been there I noticed how much skin prep we use. We are ordered, by our WC nurse, to put it on heals, bunions, callaces, elbows, SCABS, reddened areas, (all for prevention of pressure ulcers) you name it. From experience, I have always seen skin prep as a use for "prepping" the skin (ie: wounds) for protection against tape and all that good stuff. We have minimal, actual wounds that need to be changed BID or PRN. I went to the Smith & Nephew website for some answers and it spoke of only skin protection from tape and such. I have found myself peeling fitted sheets off heels of residents who are ordered to have skin prep applied BID. To me, that seems like it's doing more harm than good. I always thought that pressure ulcers basically start from the inside out...Please correct me if I am wrong, and if I'm right, please send me info, or websites, for proof so I can show my job they are wasting their money!!! It's basically a waste of time to me and if all my patients are to be applied to every bony prominence, then do they sell it in a body wash???!!!! That just seems soooo much easier!!! Thanks so much!