Frequently Asked Questions
   

What is the recommended frequency for using the Braden Scale on a routine basis (other than when there is a sustained change in a patient's condition)?
  

The evidence shows that admission assessment is not enough and that on-going assessment improves the accuracy and the predictive ability of the Braden Scale. The frequency of on-going assessments varies by clinical area and the stability or liability of the patient population. While a frequency of every 48 hours may be sufficient, many settings find it difficult to achieve consistency in nursing practice with this regimen. Consequently, most ICU's have adopted a policy of completing a Braden Scale assessment every shift, while general Medical-Surgical areas now complete a Braden Scale daily. We recommend that home care nurses perform the assessment with each RN visit, as these tend to correlate to skilled need patients. Nursing homes with skilled designations should perform risk assessment on admission and weekly thereafter. In nursing home with long-term patients, the assessment should be done on admission, weekly for the first month, and monthly thereafter.
  

Can we download an official copy of the Braden Scale?
  
Yes, you may access an official copy by clicking here.
 
Is the Braden Scale a skin assessment tool?
 
No, the Braden Scale is intended to assess risk for developing pressure ulcers. Click here for a suggested skin assessment tool.
   
Our flow sheet and admission form does not have space for the full Braden Scale. Can we use an abbreviated form?
   

It is always best to use the long form of the Braden Scale. If you do not use the entire Braden Scale on the chart, it is best to leave on blank for the total score or a blank for each subscale score and use no further descriptors. Copies of the complete Braden Scale should be readily available and nurses should be directed to consult the full Braden Scale to determine the value or number placed in each of the blank spaces on the flow sheets.

Pocket cards and large posters are available from MedPass. Click here to go to our products information page.
 

Our facility is initiating electronic medical records. Can we use an abbreviated version of the Braden Scale on this record?
  

The same answer given above applies to electronic records. However, it is possible to build in the capacity to display each subscale with full descriptions that appear when you "mouse over" the subscale title in the electronic record, so nurses have access to the full description before assigning a score.
  
When I look at different sites discussing the Braden Scale, some say low risk is 15-16 and others say 18. Has this number changed over the years?
 

Yes, the correct cut-off score is now considered to be 18 (See Bergstrom, et. al, Nursing Research, 1998).
  

How do I get staff to use the Braden Scale effectively and score appropriately?
  
If you are implementing the Braden Scale for the first time in your facility, you will need the endorsement and support of the administration. Nurses should participate in in-service education related to the Braden Scale, its routine use and facility-specific protocols. Our Web site offers a number of in-service education tools. These include a video that details each subscale of the Braden Scale and how to score these subscales. In addition, we offer a CD, "Using the Braden Scale in Clinical Practice" that provides 11 detailed case studies and tests the competency of the nurse in determining a Braden Scale score and applying appropriate nursing interventions to each case. The CNA video teaches CNA's to recognize who is likely to get a pressure ulcer and how they can contribute to prevention. This video is very popular with long-term care settings.
   

Is there a special Braden Scale for long-term care?
  

The Braden Scale has been tested for many settings, including long-term care. There is no special version for long-term care. The one you see on the Web site should be correct for all settings?
  
The protocols for the Braden Scale state that if the patient has advanced age then you advance to the next level of risk. Is there a definition of advanced age?
  

In our studies, patients over age 75 or 80 were more prone to developing pressure ulcers. People and skin age at different rates, however, and younger patients can also have frail skin that places them at higher risk. Nursing judgment is essential to determining if an adjustment in level of risk is necessary.
  

Does the Braden Scale apply to the pediatric population?
  
The Braden Scale has not been specifically tested in patients under the age of 18. However, the Braden Q developed by Martha Curley and associates was developed for younger children and has been tested in the pediatric ICU population.
     
If our facility uses the Briggs version of the Braden Scale does that mean we automatically have permission to use the Braden Scale?
  
No. Each facility that chooses to use the Braden Scale must obtain permission to use the Braden Scale by filling out the permission request form on our Web site.