Skin Tone Inclusive Assessment to Reduce Missed Pressure Injuries

Presentation Year

2026

College or Department

College of Professional Studies

Short Description of your Research or Creative Project (700 characters or less)

Patients with high‑melanin skin are at increased risk of developing pressure injuries and experiencing more severe progression because early signs are frequently missed. This disparity is attributed to delayed PI recognition because standard visual skin assessments are biased toward light skin and fail to identify early tissue damage (Black et al., 2023; LaFond et al., 2025). Implementing the Skin Assessment for Dark Skin (SADS) technique—use of halogen light and multisensory palpation—during assessments helps nurses identify early pressure injury indicators. The overarching goal is to reduce diagnostic delays by using tools such as Skin Assessment for Dark Skin (SADS) to support more equitable, safe, and timely care.

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Permission to Publish Work

Yes

Presentation File Upload

nursing-viste-sheena-may-202765-3x4.pdf (1.07 MB)

Primary Contact: First Name

Sheena May

Primary Contact: Last Name

Viste

Primary Contact: Email

srv38@humboldt.edu

Primary Contact: I am a

Undergraduate Student

Primary Contact: Phone Number

9097147417

Indicate File Dimensions

4'x3'