A Protocol for the Use of Amorphous Hydrogel to Support Wound Healing in Neonatal Patients: An Adjunct to Nursing Skin Care

The care registered nurses offer makes a critical difference in the quality and cost-effectiveness of patient outcomes. The prevention and treatment of alterations in skin integrity remain primary nurse-sensitive quality indicators. Although wound prevention is a primary goal for nurses, iatrogenic wounds do occur. Neonatal patients are at greater risk for alterations in skin integrity because of the fragile nature of their skin. When skin breakdown occurs, nurses must have knowledge of effective treatment alternatives. The purpose of this article is to describe the use of a collaborative practice protocol to introduce and document patient outcomes with the use of amorphous hydrogel as a treatment modality for iatrogenic neonatal wounds. All hospitals collect data on the quality of patient care, and it has been known for some time that registered nurses can make a critical difference in the quality of patient care and the effectiveness of patient outcomes. The American Nurses Association has identified ten specific quality measures that are impacted by nursing care. Referred to as nurse-sensitive quality indicators, these measures include the maintenance of skin integrity.(1)