Final Draft - Research Critiques and Evidence-Based Practice Proposal

Implementing Static Air Mattresses for Pressure Ulcer Management Name Institution Course Code and Title Professor Date Implementing Static Air Mattresses for Pressure Ulcer Management Introduction Pressure ulcers affect the skin tissues and individuals’ well-being. Bedbound patients have a high likelihood of pressure ulcer development. However, implementing appropriate preventive strategies and pressure-relieving support surfaces reduces their occurrence. These include frequent repositioning, applying creams, and lying on high-quality surfaces like static air mattresses and high-specification foam mattresses. This research paper examines preventive strategies for pressure ulcers and proposes static air mattress implementation in nursing care institutions. PICOT: In bedbound patients in care facilities (Population), how does the use of static air mattresses (Intervention) as compared to alternating pressure mattresses (Comparison) affect the likelihood of developing pressure ulcers (Outcome) within a month (Time)? Methods of Studies This research paper reviewed four articles (two qualitative and two quantitative) to answer the PICOT question regarding implementing static air mattresses instead of alternating pressure mattresses to minimize the chances of pressure ulcer development among bedbound patients. The first qualitative research “An exploration of nursing home residents' experiences of a non-powered static air mattress overlay to prevent pressure ulcers" applied the phenomenological method to describe different nursing home residents’ experiences when using static or alternating pressure mattresses to hinder pressure sores development (Serraes et al., 2020). The phenomenological study method answered the research question through detailed descriptions of residents’ experiences (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022). Participants reported better sleep and rest, reduced pain and discomfort, and enhanced mobility when using static air mattresses compared to alternating pressure ones (Serraes et al., 2020). As a result, static air mattresses significantly prevent pressure ulcer development among bedbound patients. On the other hand, Adibelli and Korkmaz’s (2022) qualitative research “Pressure injury prevention practices of intensive care unit nurses in Turkey: A descriptive multiple-methods qualitative study” used a case study method to examine pressure injury cases in intensive care units. The case study provided an in-depth description of several preventive mechanisms against pressure ulcers to answer the research question (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022). The participants reported significant strategies for minimizing pressure injuries. These include periodic cleaning, repositioning, and mobilization (Adibelli & Korkmaz., 2022). The case study also demonstrated the aspects that affect such preventive factors. They included quality pressure-relieving support surfaces and skin care products. Furthermore, Adibelli and Korkmaz (2022) explained the benefits of completing risk assessment tools to determine the likelihood of pressure ulcer development among bedbound individuals. Therefore, the case study method answered the research question by highlighting the significance of high-quality mattresses like static air mattresses to relieve pain and discomfort that causes pressure injury development. Similarly, two quantitative studies helped answer the research question regarding pressure ulcers. Beeckman et al. (2019) quantitative research “A multicentre prospective randomized controlled clinical trial comparing the effectiveness and cost of a static air mattress and alternating air pressure mattress to prevent pressure ulcers in nursing home residents” applied a quasi-experimental research method to establish the cause-effect relationship between specific pressure-relieving mattresses and pressure injury development. The quasi-experimental method determined how the independent variables influence the occurrence of the dependent variable without manipulating or controlling the variables (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022). The method determined the impacts of static or alternating air mattresses in preventing pressure sores occurrence in residents’ natural settings (Beeckman et al., 2019). As a result, the quasi-experimental method answered the research question by indicating that the intervention variable (static air mattresses) is cost- and clinically effective in preventing pressure sores among bedbound patients than the comparison variable (alternating pressure mattresses) (Beeckman et al., 2019). On the other hand, Nixon et al. (2019) quantitative research “Pressure Relieving Support Surfaces for Pressure Ulcer Prevention (PRESSURE 2): Clinical and Health Economic Results of a Randomised Controlled Trial. Eclinical Medicine” applied an experimental study method to compare high-specification and static air mattresses’ effectiveness against pressure injuries. The experimental method randomized 2029 participants into intervention and control experimental treatments (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022). Nixon et al. (2019) used random sampling to allocate high-risk adult inpatients to alternating air-p...