title: Ventilator-associated pneumonia and pressure ulcer prevention as targets for quality improvement in the ICU.
abstract: The health care culture must change. Florence Nightingale wrote [8] "deep-rooted and universal is the conviction that to give a medicine is to be doing something, or rather everything and to give air, warmth, cleanliness etc. is to do nothing." Hygiene care practices and mobility activities are fundamental and independent care components in the nursing profession. When implemented using available evidence, they can significantly improve patient outcomes. It is time to claim and demonstrate the importance of consistent delivery of the fundamentals of basic nursing care. Interventional patient hygiene is an effective framework to ensure the the basics of nursing care are consistently applied to improve patient outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Advancing Nursing LLC, 17139 Victor Drive, Northville, MI 48168, USA. kvollman@comcast.net
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Vollman
mesh_terms: D001510:Bed Rest / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000451:nursing; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015279:Organizational Culture; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D017592:Skin Care; D013396:Suction; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control