A group of community NHS staff have created and performed an adapted version of the hit Pet Shop Boys song ‘It’s a Sin’ to raise awareness of pressure ulcer prevention.
Community staff from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (STH) recorded their version of the song, retitled as ‘It’s SSKIN’, at studios in the city centre. It has already had more than 5,000 views on YouTube.
The song – the original of which topped the charts for three weeks in 1987 – will be used as a resource for community health workers learning about pressure ulcer prevention, but it is hoped it may also be used more widely to raise awareness.
SSKIN is an acronym for a five-step approach for pressure ulcer prevention:
Surface: ensure the correct mattress, cushion, heel protector etc is used
Skin inspection: early inspection means early detection
Keep moving: change position often
Incontinence/moisture: ensure the skin is kept clean and dry
Nutrition/hydration: ensure the right diet and appropriate fluids
You can hear the song on YouTube.