Design and implementation of a Neonatal Tissue Viability Assessment Tool on the newborn intensive care unit

There is little validated data available for the assessment of neonatal tissue viability. The need for a standardised tool for the assessment of skin to improve quality of care was identified by the NICU Clinical Practice Group at St. Mary’s Hospital, Manchester. The Braden Q Scale (2003) was adapted to develop the Neonatal Tissue Viability Assessment Tool; eight different criteria assess the infant’s risk of threats to skin integrity. This assessment tool has been implemented in practice and audited.