Many Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients suffer from conditions that limit mobility, further increasing their risk of pressure injuries (PI). A multi-center study found that 37.9% of ICU patients had a unit-acquired PI with 12.5% being heel PIs (n = 87), but with unit-based education the unit-acquired PIs reduced to 14.9% with 8.8% being heel PIs (n = 94) (Alshahrani et al., 2024). Several factors contributing to heel PIs can be reduced or eliminated through patient and nurse education on proper heel-offloading strategies, specifically the use of heel soft boots and pillows, as improper positioning can cause friction and contractures (Arslan & Ates, 2024). One study demonstrated the effectiveness of proper heel soft boot utilization, with 1 heel PI in the intervention group (n = 197) compared to 11 heel PIs in the control group (n = 197) over 28 days. (Johnson et al., 2022).

Will Anda, BSN, RN, Ben Haskew, BSN, RN, Alexis Holmes, BSN, RN, Madeeah Muhammad, BSN, RN, Hannah Ross, BSN, RN Emory University Hospital (EUH) 4TN/5TN Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU)