The University of Chicago Medicine's Countdown to Zero skin integrity program won the 2017 3M Award for Excellence in Skin Safety this week.
The Countdown to Zero program started in 2014 with an aim to lower the prevalence of pressure injuries, incontinence-associated dermatitis, intertriginous dermatitis and friction injuries. Clinician education is a large part of the program. It takes multiple forms at UChicago Medicine, including new-hire orientation, computer-based programs, formal 30-minute sessions and five-minute sessions conducted at the bedside.
Through the program, UChicago Medicine was able to reduce the number of pressure injuries by 83 percent.
"Through our skin care team’s hard work, our preventable skin injury rates continue to improve year-over-year. In fact, we recently met our ultimate goal — recording zero instances of Stage 2 and above pressure injuries in all patients surveyed, which included critically ill adult and pediatric patients — which is incredible," said Susan Solmos, MSN, RN, leader of the Countdown to Zero program. "By prioritizing skin integrity education and continuous evaluation, we have been able to enhance our standard of care systemwide in a very tangible way for our patients."
The 3M Award for Excellence in Skin Safety is given to a program that demonstrates measurable and sustained results using prevention, leadership engagement, product formulary and participation by team members across disciplines.