Nursing diagnosis in older adults at risk for pressure injury*

Abstract

Objective: To develop nursing diagnoses and care plans for older adults with pressure injuries based on risk factors, aiming at preventing their occurrence in hospitalized older adults. Method: Exploratory, descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study conducted with 87 medical records at the Medical Clinic Unit of a University Hospital. Results: Among older adults at some risk for the development of pressure injury, there was a prevalence of the female sex, age over 80 years and moderate risk classification on the Braden Scale. Nursing interventions that encourage patient mobility, pressure control, skin supervision, nutrition, incontinence and hygiene stood out. Conclusion: Nursing has an important role in maintaining the integrity of patients’ skin. It is worth highlighting the use of injury predictive scales as a complement to clinical practice in order to assist in the nursing diagnosis with a view to interventions aimed at risk factors.