Become the PPUPET Master: Mastering Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment With the Pediatric Pressure Ulcer Prediction and Evaluation Tool (PPUPET) 1

• Staff nurses play a key role in identifying risk for pressure ulcer development.
• The PPUPET is sensitive for detecting pressure ulcer development in children.
• An external medical device is a risk factor for pressure ulcer development.
• Skin condition is a risk factor for pressure ulcer development.
• Risk is defined by total score and a high score in any of the subscales.

Hospital acquired pressure ulcers (HAPU) are serious, debilitating, and preventable complications in all inpatient populations. Despite evidence of the development of pressure ulcers in the pediatric population, minimal research has been done. Based on observations gathered during quarterly HAPU audits, bedside nursing staff recognized trends in pressure ulcer locations that were not captured using current pressure ulcer risk assessment tools. Together, bedside nurses and nursing leadership created and conducted multiple research studies to investigate the validity and reliability of the Pediatric Pressure Ulcer Prediction and Evaluation Tool (PPUPET).