The Nurses Role in Relation to Risk Assessment

Introduction

The aim of this assignment is to analyse the role of the nurse in relation to Risk Management, In order to do this effectively, recognised risk assessment tools will be utilised, various measurements have been put in place to minimise the risk to patients who come into contact with health services in both primary and secondary care settings, the specific subject the author will explore is pressure ulcers, definitions will be offered throughout the assignment to assist the readers understanding of terms such as risk and risk assessment, as well as the importance of nutrition and the detrimental effect malnutrition can have on pressure ulcers, the causes and the aims of preventing them through the use of appropriate assessment tools, along with statistics, policies and guidelines, including the five steps that should be taken to carry out efficient risk assessments. Harrison (2003) describes risk assessment as “an assessment that can identify those at risk”, so that steps can be taken to provide appropriate therapeutic treatment.

Rationale

The National Health Service (NHS) 2010 describe a pressure ulcer as a “decubitis ulcer a bedsore, ulceration of the skin due to pressure”, which can cause interference with the blood supply to the area, however the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) describe it as “An ulcerated area of the skin caused by the continuous pressure on part of the body in a bedridden patient”. As these definitions clarify, a pressure ulcer is a universal but

potentially an avoidable condition presenting most often in high risk patients such as elderly and those with physical impairments, therefore carrying out risk assessments could potentially prevent them, the a...

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...th March 2011].

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