Why you should read this article

•

To enhance your understanding of the role of the emergency nurse in preventing pressure ulcers

•

To familiarise yourself with strategies for preventing pressure ulcers in the emergency department (ED)

•

To learn about embedding pressure ulcer prevention into the ED workflow

Patients can develop pressure ulcers within a few hours of entering an emergency department (ED). However, despite the critical role of EDs in reducing the incidence of pressure ulcers, few have protocols in place for prevention. This article describes the prevention emergency project (PEP), a quality improvement project undertaken in the ED at Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden to reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers. The article demonstrates how four simple nurse-led changes – early risk assessment, pressure-relieving equipment, intentional rounding, and using prophylactic dressings and incontinence pads – can reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers significantly when integrated into ED workflow.