Pressure ulcer PUSH score and traditional nursing assessment in nursing home residents: do they correlate?

Background: Over a decade ago, the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP, 1997) recommended a new tool, the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) tool to document ulcers and monitor the healing process. Yet, traditional nursing observation remains standard practice in chronic care, thus prompting this correlational study between PUSH and traditional documentation of pressure ulcers.

Methods: Data were cross-tabulated through a retrospective chart review of all residents with stage II-IV decubiti at a 672-bed skilled nursing facility, between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2006.