The wound department would like to nominate the Skin Wound Assessment Team (SWAT) for the DAISY Team Award in recognition of their exceptional dedication to patient safety in pressure injury prevention, ongoing commitment to professional development, and involvement in quality improvement projects. SWAT nurses exemplify the core values of dignity and excellence in all aspects of their work on the team. The SWAT team, comprising about 28 nurses from each med-surg tele unit and ICU, is genuinely passionate about skin and wounds, with veteran members who have been on the team for over eight years.

Dignity
SWAT nurses participate in quarterly skin prevalence studies, meticulously assessing each patient in their units to identify new and existing pressure injuries. These studies raise unit awareness about pressure injury prevention and skin assessment.
Additionally, SWAT nurses have participated in quality improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing patient care and safety. They have led interdisciplinary projects such as the SSKIN on Waffles project on 3N and the Safe Heels project on 5NE, which focused on developing and implementing best practices for pressure injury prevention. Their collaborative efforts have significantly improved patient outcomes by reducing the rates of hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs).

Excellence
The team places a strong emphasis on continuing education, participating in an annual “SWAT clinical skills day” to enhance their skin/wound skills and knowledge. They actively share their expertise with peers and serve as super users on their units for wound vacs, ostomy care, and pressure injury prevention.

They assist with product trials, such as the 5S Comfort glide and Tortoise trials, contributing to the overall improvement of wound care practices within the organization, ensuring we bring on products that best fit our patients and ministry needs. 
Their dedication to excellence is further reflected by the submission of an evidence-based practice poster for the Safe Heels project on 5NE to the fall 2022 Symposium of Advanced Wound Care conference. The SAFE Heel protocol directly impacts patient safety. It provides an effective standardized method of interventions that has been tested and proven to improve patient outcomes. Heel HAPI Occurrences went from 3-4 to 0-1. SWAT members have also presented at the 2019 Providence Southern California Regional Research and EBP conference for the 3N SSKIN on Waffles project. Upon implementing the SSKIN on Waffles Protocol, the HAPI rate decreased by almost 50% in 1 year. 
 
As an added benefit, the protocol also succeeded in lowering the facility’s cost on rental beds and increased nursing awareness to HAPI prevention. The SWAT members also helped coordinate the 2019 Skin and Wound Symposium held at our ministry. 

The wound department is extremely proud of the SWAT team for their commitment to patient care, professional development, and quality improvement. Two SWAT members have even advanced their careers by becoming wound care certified.