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Pressure ulcers are an important cause of morbidity among the frailest elderly and physically disabled patients in the United States. Pressure ulcers can develop from unrelieved pressure over a bony prominence for an extended period of time. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the comprehensiveness of student nurse educational curriculum for wounds in public college nursing programs.
It is believed that the undergraduate nursing student lacks the necessary wound prevention and care education to provide best-practice wound care to the patient population. It is expected that this research will find that undergraduate nursing students receive insufficient instruction on wound care in their educational studies to have the skills to identify pressure ulcer risks and the prevention treatments for the ‘at risk’ population. It is expected that offering an additional two hour lecture/lab program for nursing students administered by a certified wound nurse specialist will help to improve their wound care knowledge.
A study was conducted with a convenience sample of undergraduate nursing students at two public colleges in the state of Massachusetts. The study objective was to determine the benefit of conducting a two hour lecture and lab class on wound care by a nurse wound specialist. This study was to identify if this activity would effectively increase the skills and knowledge on the phases of wound healing, pressure ulcer staging, best practice moist wound healing techniques, and the uses of advance wound products for undergraduate nursing students.
The outcome of this research found that undergraduate nursing students receive minimal instruction on wound care in their educational studies. It was statistically determined that offering an additional two hour lecture/lab program for nursing students administered by a certified wound nurse specialist significantly improved their wound care knowledge. This knowledge is essential to be able to identify pressure ulcer risks and the prevention treatments for the “at risk” patient population.
It is believed that the undergraduate nursing student lacks the necessary wound prevention and care education to provide best-practice wound care to the patient population. It is expected that this research will find that undergraduate nursing students receive insufficient instruction on wound care in their educational studies to have the skills to identify pressure ulcer risks and the prevention treatments for the ‘at risk’ population. It is expected that offering an additional two hour lecture/lab program for nursing students administered by a certified wound nurse specialist will help to improve their wound care knowledge.
A study was conducted with a convenience sample of undergraduate nursing students at two public colleges in the state of Massachusetts. The study objective was to determine the benefit of conducting a two hour lecture and lab class on wound care by a nurse wound specialist. This study was to identify if this activity would effectively increase the skills and knowledge on the phases of wound healing, pressure ulcer staging, best practice moist wound healing techniques, and the uses of advance wound products for undergraduate nursing students.
The outcome of this research found that undergraduate nursing students receive minimal instruction on wound care in their educational studies. It was statistically determined that offering an additional two hour lecture/lab program for nursing students administered by a certified wound nurse specialist significantly improved their wound care knowledge. This knowledge is essential to be able to identify pressure ulcer risks and the prevention treatments for the “at risk” patient population.