Wound Care

The day-to-day responsibility for wound management is a role usually undertaken by nurses. It includes assessing the wound, selecting an appropriate treatment, and evaluating the patients' progress. In order to do this effectively the nurse needs to understand the healing process, recognize the factors which may delay wound healing, understand how wound healing can be optimized, know how to recognize complications if they arise and know how to treat them. This text, specifically written for community nurses, including practice nurses, provides a picture of wound healing for both acute and chronic wounds that may be encountered in a community setting. An overview of the function of the skin and phases of wound healing are examined prior to looking at the relationship between wound healing and the patients' health and lifestyle. The reference is written in a question-and-answer format, and includes relevant case studies.