Facial Pressure Injuries During COVID-19

Dr. Joyce Black is back as host for this NPIAP episode, and she is joined by Susan Solmos who is a PhD graduate of the UNMC College of Nursing. Dr. Solmos is currently a part of the University of Chicago Medical Center's Center for Nursing Professional Practice and Research. Drs. Black and Solmos discuss the horrific nature of facial pressure injuries brought on by the (very important) mask wearing of our nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Solmos wrote her dissertation on how nurses shared their pressure injuries to the world via Instagram. This qualitative data was then used to show how the N95 masks were protecting yet also harming the nurses on the frontlines. While not news to our listeners, this is a great discussion between two passionate wound specialists on how our most beloved fighters during the COVID-19 pandemic, were fighting their own physical battle.