Exploring nurses’ experiences in pressure sore care in long-term care facilities

ABSTRACT

Background

This study uses an interpretive description approach to explore nurses’ experiences with pressure sore care in long-term care facilities, highlighting the complexity of their encounters.

Methods

10 experienced nurses from South Korean small to medium-sized hospitals were chosen via purposive sampling for interviews. Data analysis utilized Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

The study’s findings collectively reflect the intricate journey of nurses in Long-term care facilities as they grapple with the challenges of pressure sore care. These nurses transform their perception of pressure sores, encountering a dynamic shift in their understanding. They face multifaceted challenges in providing optimal care, marked by resource constraints and the absence of standardized guidelines. Emotionally, they navigate a complex terrain of sentiments, oscillating between feelings of accomplishment and helplessness. Despite these hurdles, they persistently strive for excellence in pressure sore nursing, driven by an unwavering commitment to delivering the best possible care within the confines of their healthcare environment.

Conclusion

The study enhances understanding of pressure sore care in long-term facilities and suggests avenues for improving nursing practices and care quality through targeted interventions.

KEYWORDS:

• Pressure sore
• nurse
• experiences
• long-term care facilities
• elderly

Acknowledgments

The authors express their sincere gratitude to all the participants for their cooperation in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contributions

Each author has made substantial contributions to this study, including conception, study design, data acquisition, analysis, interpretation, drafting, critical review, final approval of the manuscript for publication, and selection of the target journal. All authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Data sharing statement

The datasets utilized in this study can be made available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Ethics approval and participant consent

This research received ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board of Chonnam National University (1040198–200619-HR-066-01), adhering to ethical standards in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and informed consent was duly obtained from all study participants.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2324495.

Additional information

Funding

The authors reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Hyung-Ju Na

Hyung-Ju Na is a registered nurse affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea. He currently works as a Wound, Ostomy, and Continence-Nursing Specialist at Seoul Metropolitan Dongbu Hospital. He holds a Ph.D. from Chonnam National University. His primary research interests revolve around improving nursing services for elderly patients and pressure ulcer patients in small to medium-sized hospitals.

Sung-Hee Yoo

Sung-Hee Yoo is a registered nurse affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea. She obtained her Ph.D. from Yonsei University and previously worked at Asan Medical Center. Currently, she holds the position of a professor in adult nursing at Chonnam National University’s College of Nursing. Her primary research focus is on enhancing the quality of life for stroke patients.

Young-Ran Kweon

Young-Ran Kweon is a registered nurse affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea. She holds the position of a professor in psychiatric mental health nursing at Chonnam National University’s College of Nursing. She serves as the Director of the Gwangju Dong-gu Community Addiction Management Center in her capacity as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). Her research interests primarily revolve around utilizing qualitative methods to comprehend individuals’ experiences related to distress and recovery.