title: Identifying Patterns in Implementation of Hospital Pressure Ulcer Prevention Programs: A Multisite Qualitative Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the presence or absence of key components of hospital pressure ulcer (PU) prevention programs in 6 acute care hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multisite comparative case study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using purposeful selection based on PU rates (high vs low) and hospital size, 6 hospitals within the Veterans Health Administration health care system were invited to participate. Key informant interviews (n = 48) were conducted in each of the 6 participating hospitals among individuals playing key roles in PU prevention: senior nursing leadership (n = 9), nurse manager (n = 7), wound care specialist (n = 6), frontline RNs (n = 26).
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative data were collected during face-to-face, semistructured interviews. Interview protocols were tailored to each interviewee's role with a core set of common questions covering 3 major content areas: (1) practice environment (eg, policies and wound care specialists), (2) current prevention practices (eg, conduct of PU risk assessment and skin inspection), and (3) barriers to PU prevention. We conducted structured coding of 5 key components of PU prevention programs and cross-case analysis to identify patterns in operationalization and implementation of program components across hospitals based on facility size and PU rates (low vs high).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All hospitals had implemented all PU prevention program components. Component operationalization varied considerably across hospitals. Wound care specialists were integral to the operationalization of the 4 other program components examined; however, staffing levels and work assignments of wound care specialists varied widely. Patterns emerged among hospitals with low and high PU rates with respect to wound care specialist staffing, data monitoring, and staff education.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found hospital-level variations in PU prevention programs. Wound care specialist staffing may represent a potential point of leverage in achieving other PU program components, particularly performance monitoring and staff education.
authors.affiliation: Lynn M. Soban, PhD, MPH, RN, Nursing Research and Development, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California; VA HSR&D Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, North Hills, California.Erin P. Finley, PhD, MPH, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, and Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio.Rebecca S. Miltner, PhD, RN, CNL, NEA-BC, Department of Family, Community, and Health Systems, School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
authors.forename: Lynn M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Soban
authors.forename: Erin P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Finley
authors.forename: Rebecca S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Miltner
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards