The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) has designated November 17, 2016 as World Wide Pressure Injury Prevention Day and is urging states to join the effort and raise awareness about the need to prevent pressure injuries. As of October 1st, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, and the District of Columbia have issued State Proclamations for Pressure Injury Prevention Awareness Day. The NPUAP is working through Congressional channels to seek a Federal Declaration from the President for a Pressure Injury Prevention Awareness Day to occur each year on the 3rd Thursday of November. This would then coincide with their worldwide partners.

The objective of the STOP logo that was launched last year is to increase national awareness for pressure injury prevention and to educate the public on this topic. NPUAP has developed an extensive media materials package appropriate for all health care settings and organizations, which can be downloaded here.

Pressure Injury Prevention Resources

I encourage your organization to download the new World Wide Pressure Injury Prevention Day resources available from the NPUAP, including the Pressure Injury Staging Poster, which not only includes the definitions and schematic drawings of the stages but also has visual examples of each stage. This educational poster would be ideal to display in the nurses’ station or perhaps in the therapy department. The NPUAP's Pressure Injury Informational Poster reminds clinicians to consider four statements:

1. Is Your Patient At Risk?
2. Implement Preventive Strategies
3. Document, Document, Document
4. Refer To International Pressure Ulcer Guidelines

Other materials include a Pressure Injury Patient Guide, which contains an explanation in lay terms of the seriousness of pressure injuries, who is at risk and how they can be prevented. This tool affords clinicians the opportunity to have a discussion with the patient and the family about implementing strategies for preventing pressure injuries.

Please join the effort on November 17th to STOP Pressure Injuries. If we all work together as a team, we can make an impact and reduce pressure injuries.

About The Author
Mary Ellen Posthauer RDN, CD, LD, FAND is an award winning dietitian, consultant for MEP Healthcare Dietary Services, published author, and member of the Purdue University Hall of Fame, Department of Foods and Nutrition, having held positions on numerous boards and panels including the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel and the American Dietetic Association's Unintentional Weight Loss work group.