hospitals are using near-infrared technology, but it’ s not affordable for many facilities I visit. I think we’ re maybe 10 or 20 years away from having that everywhere. Dr. Black also points out that, even if a facility has an infrared technology device, there are challenges such as moving it from unit to unit, storing it and training staff to use it. So the important thing right now is to educate nurses on how to use the tools they have, which are their senses— except taste! |
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use it as a way to cut down on present-on-admissions as well as hospital-acquired pressure injuries. While it might not be officially best practice yet, I think it’ s a good practice to start. I think it’ s a matter of just taking the time during either huddles or educational systems and making it an initiative within your facility to do that. Having a second set of eyes can catch what one person might miss.
Assessing skin through thick creams One of the questions we tackled was about zinc oxide— specifically, how difficult it can be to assess skin when it’ s covered in a thick barrier cream. I’ ve seen this firsthand. Zinc is a great barrier, but it’ s not always easy to remove, especially from fragile skin. That’ s why I recommend using emulsifying cleansers. These products allow the zinc to break down gently, so we can wipe it away without scrubbing or
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We need to challenge outdated norms and equip ourselves with better tools, better language and better habits. causing harm. It’ s a small shift, but it makes a big difference in preserving skin integrity and getting a clear view of what’ s underneath.
Bedside nurse ability and approval to assess skin We heard from one of our webinar attendees that their
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facility was considering not allowing bedside nurses to stage pressure injuries. It’ s within the scope of practice for nurses to be able to stage pressure injuries, but I think a lot of times nurses lack the confidence to feel they can really do it well. It comes down to making sure that the hospitals have those educational pieces in place. Then, when the new Electronic Clinical Quality Measures( eCQM) kick in, charging penalties to hospitals for healthcare-associated stage 2 pressure injuries, those nurses will feel confident in their staging abilities.
Tools and technology that can help There are some tools and technology out there that can help assess skin. Dr. Black suggests using inexpensive clear, plastic discs, so you can see blanching through them without blocking the area of skin with your finger. Some
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Moving forward Comprehensive skin assessments are foundational to patient care. They establish a baseline, help us identify patients at risk and enable early detection of pressure injuries. Early identification is crucial for both clinical and financial outcomes. We must work together to reverse this trend. Assessing dark skin tones requires vigilance, education and empathy. As nurses, we are trained to observe, to notice what others might miss— and that responsibility becomes even more critical when assessing skin tones that don’ t fit the textbooks. What I’ ve learned through research and personal experience is that we need to challenge outdated norms and equip ourselves with better tools, better language and better habits.
Skin tone is not a side note— it’ s central to how we deliver equitable care. Whether it’ s choosing the right scale, advocating for thorough assessments or simply taking the time to look again, we have the power to change outcomes. Every patient deserves to be seen, and every nurse deserves the confidence to see clearly. ◼
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