From Insight to Outcomes: Exploring surface impact

From Insight to Outcomes: Exploring surface impact   
ICU Skin Safety: Nursing & Surface Age Insights  

Tuesday, November 11, 2025 
1 - 2 p.m. Eastern; noon - 1 p.m. Central; 10 - 11 a.m. Pacific

Pressure injuries remain a persistent and costly challenge for hospitals, affecting patient outcomes, length of stay and staff workload. In this session, Sandy Hughes, RN, MSN, CWOCN, from Boston Medical Center, will share insights from her clinical leadership and podcast conversation on pressure injury prevention. She will discuss how evaluating and updating bed surface technology, including the use of alternating low-pressure (ALP) surfaces, directly impacts skin safety, reduces hospital-acquired pressure injuries and improves care efficiency.

A case study from Boston Medical Center will illustrate the real-world challenges faced by a safety-net hospital, including resource limitations and staff training needs. Attendees will learn how the organization overcame these barriers to achieve measurable improvements in pressure injury rates, patient outcomes and staff satisfaction.

Participants will leave with practical strategies to evaluate their own surface management programs, optimize pressure injury prevention protocols, and advocate for investments that deliver both patient safety and operational value.

Attendees Will Learn How To:

• Recognize how the age and condition of bed support surfaces contribute to the risk of hospital-acquired pressure injuries.
• Evaluate the impact of surface replacement and advanced technologies, such as alternating low-pressure (ALP) beds, on patient safety and outcomes.
• Apply strategies from Boston Medical Center’s case study to address resource limitations, staff training challenges and patient selection criteria.
• Identify measurable operational benefits — including improved patient satisfaction, staff efficiency and ROI — associated with proactive surface management.
• Integrate new assessment practices into early detection and prevention protocols.

Speaker(s):

Sandy Hughes, RN, MSN, CWOCN  
WOC RN at Boston Medical Center  
Boston Medical Center