Cookeville Regional Medical Center: Case Study

Wound management is one of the cornerstones for nursing care however, effective wound care extends far beyond the application of the wound itself. Nurses may be required to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate wound care; therefore, order to fill these roles it’s critical to have an understanding of the several different areas of wound care such as, integumentary system, classification of wounds, wound procedures, and documentation. Knowledge in each of these areas will allow nurses to make well informed decisions about wound care, and as a result play an active part in wound healing.

For my practice I was fortunate to be able to work at the Bethany in Cochrane. This facility was well kept and has much of the equipment to properly and holistically care for their residents. While in practice, I was able to help with a variety of tasks, including morning care and bed making. An essential element of morning care was a skin assessment, typically to look for bruises, dry spots, and most importantly, ulcers. Ulcers are painful and can decrease quality of life (Ricci, 2013).

I have significantly developed my skill in wound care assessment and dressing, in developing this skill I now recognize the importance of documenting each dressing. Morison (2001) supports this in saying that by detailing pressure ulcer assessment it provides a basis for deciding the effectiveness of the current treatment.

I get to see various types of wound, from pressure ulcer of different stages, unbelievable edemas, arterial and venous ulcers, diabetic ulcers, and many other wounds of uncertain causes. I have never expected to see those kinds of wounds. I have seen different drainage amount, color, and odor, various shapes and location of the wounds, and amputated edematous legs. I have learned also the different types of dressings and antibacterial ointments used. I had given the chance to observe a client on their high-tech hyperbaric oxygen therapy which makes the wound healing even faster. The most important lesson I have learned from the team members was, “DO NOT GET

Even in the hospital setting while in Basildon Hospital Stroke Rehabilitation (Lister Ward) and in Mountnessing Court Billericay (The Mental Health Placement), I have found caring for patients with open wounds very interesting and diverse. Considering my interests in wound care, I slowly realised following this career path is what would suit me.

The process of wound assessment requires accurate and appropriate interventions while dealing with the patients. There are some major components which the operator must consider to effectively access an infection, and they require a range of skills and knowledge. These factors are the knowledge of relevant anatomy and physiology, the understanding of the various factors that accelerate wound growth, and the ability to listen and understand the patient’s needs. In wound accessing, the doctor should have an idea concerning the number and location of wounds, the required treatments depending on the type of infection, the type of wound in accordance to various grading given, and the procedures to follow to achieve the treatment

The aim of treatment of wound management in Mr BW was to safely allow the exudation of pus to drain freely from the wound in order to expedite wound healing. At the same time, to consider the level of comfort, prevent further infection, increased mobility and ensure nutritional

On assessment, the wound was slightly exudates, odour, sloughs and dry skin patches on the surroundings. Sprakes (2010) state that, holistic assessment of patient and the wound are essential in order to facilitate the wound healing process. Ousey and McIntosh (2010) points out that, chronic wounds are exacerbated by a sequence of misdiagnosis, neglect, incompetence or inappropriate treatment strategies. I observed that, M’s wound was with exudates and sloughs; this

Today, our medical field has never failed to advance in treating wounds painlessly, you’d be taken aback by how wounds were treated during the Civil War. No one can lie that the war all started due to slavery. The South, the confederates, and the North, the union, were both against one another. The confederate states, the south, Wanted to continue having slavery. While the North, they wanted equal rights for everyone. This controversy started the Civil War. The Union had more soldiers and more firearms, compared to the South that only had way less supplies. With the battle between the Union and the Confederates, there is no doubt about the many injuries that occurred.

venous leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers. Canadian Association of Wound Care (CAWC) has published

Throughout the procedure, I was able to interact with the patient and communicate effectively with him, discussing his pertinent health history as well as his experience in dealing with his chronic wound. Such communication and patient interactions bring an abundance of positive feelings to any clinical situation. I also felt positively about the decision of the nurse and healthcare provider in the use of barrier cream to prevent further maceration of the peri-wound skin,

This report will discuss the risk of impaired wound healing, amongst patients in the community. Patients may be at risk due to increased age, malnutrition and underlying medical conditions (Timmons, 2003, White, 2008). However, this report concerns with patients’ knowledge deficit about the importance of nutrition, which may be the risk factor (Casey, 1998, Dealey, 2005, Timmons, 2003). In this respect, a management package in the form of a leaflet aimed at these patients has been prepared, (see appendix), which may improve patients’ knowledge. The report will evaluate how the risk could be minimised by using this leaflet.

A full assessment of the wound should be carried out prior to selection of dressings. Any allergies should also be noted. The wound should be traced, photographed and measured providing data for comparison throughout the treatment. Consent should be gained prior to photographing the wound and the patient should not be identifiable from the photograph (Benbow 2004). All information should be documented in patients’ records, using the wound assessment tool. The pressure sore was identified as grade two

The wound care team is able to correspond with the physicians, and recommend and write order in accordance to the best treat for each individual patient’s issues with pressure ulcer. Therefore they are constantly using and teaching the nurses and physicians better ways to prevent and treat pressure ulcers.

Wound care nurses play a special role in the hospital environment, and hospitals without those specialized nurses may not be able to offer the level of care as hospitals that have these specialized professionals. "Wound care nurses, sometimes referred to as wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nurses, specialize in wound management, the monitoring and treatment of wounds due to injury, disease or medical treatments. Their work promotes the safe and rapid healing of a wide variety of wounds, from chronic bed sores or ulcers to abscesses, feeding tube sites and recent surgical openings" (Nursing Schools, 2012). While it may seem as if any nurse should be qualified to perform these functions, it is critical to realize that it is a specialized field. "Their main objectives are to assess the wounds, develop a treatment plan, clean wounds and monitor for signs of