Nurse Provides Tips on Preventing Pressure Ulcers in People with Spinal Cord Injury

Prevention strategies can lower risk of common complication among people with paralysis.

Padding to Prevent Pressure Ulcers

When resting in bed, it is important to be properly positioned in order to protect the skin, muscles and joints. Proper padding and positioning can promote range of motion, comfort and rest, as well as keep the skin from developing sores.

Wheeelchair Seating Clinic

Shepherd Center's Wheeelchair Seating Clinic fits patients for wheelchairs and cushions that help prevent pressure ulcers.

Cathy Koerner, RN, CWOCN, CWS

Cathy Koerner, RN, CWOCN, CWS, is a certified wound/ostomy nurse at Shepherd Center.

People with spinal cord injury and other conditions that limit movement are at great risk for pressure ulcer development.

Many risk factors predispose people with spinal cord injury to the development of these wounds; factors include impaired sensation, mobility, spasms and respiratory issues. At Shepherd Center, Cathy Koerner, RN, CWOCN, CWS, and her colleagues have implemented a comprehensive program to prevent these ulcers among patients while they are in the hospital and after they discharge.

In a new 10-minute podcast from Shepherd Center Radio, Koerner shares some pressure ulcer prevention strategies, which include scheduled turning and repositioning in beds and wheelchairs; management of bowel and bladder issues; proper support surfaces; and regular checks of the skin. This podcast and others from Shepherd Center Radio are available here or as download from the link above.

Koerner is a recently retired, certified wound/ostomy nurse at Shepherd Center. She has been a certified wound/ostomy nurse for 29 years working in various healthcare settings, including acute care hospitals, home health, wound care clinics and nursing homes. She worked at Shepherd Center for the past 10 years of her career. Prevention and management of pressure ulcers is a primary focus of her practice. Koerner has been an educator on the college level teaching all aspects of nursing at various institutions. She is a graduate of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the certified wound/ostomy nursing program at Emory University in Atlanta.

More information on pressure ulcer prevention is available here on Shepherd Center's patient education website, MyShepherdConnection.org.

About Shepherd Center

Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.