Maarit Ahtiala is a medical-surgical registered nurse with a Master’s degree in Health Sciences. She specialises in wound care, and pressure ulcer prevention has been her passion for many years. 

Maarit has contributed to the development of international pressure ulcer/injury prevention and treatment guidelines. One example is her work on the team that created the pressure ulcer prevention guideline for the Finnish Nursing Research Foundation. She has also trained staff at the bedside as well as at numerous educational events, both in Finland and abroad.

”No one achieves results alone, it truly requires a team. I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the ICU staff at Turku University Hospital. They are exceptional professionals.”

Maarit emphasises the importance of teamwork in achieving good outcomes - and says that in Finland they are fortunate to have strong collaboration between nurses and doctors in the field of wound care. They support and assist one another because they share one essential goal: doing what is best for their patients.

She hopes that The Silent Hero Award will help highlight the significant challenges posed by today’s economic climate. Maarit stresses that reducing expenses and cutting costs do not truly save money if the consequences of those cuts are not fully understood. Pressure ulcer prevention can save millions, yet this is not always recognised. But by prioritising preventative care, evidence-based strategies, and strong teamwork, it is possible to make prevention the standard everywhere.