Wound Care in Today's Healthcare Environment

For a complete list of accreditations for this course, please see the accreditation information box below the author’s bio.  All states recognize our courses for accredited continuing nursing education, CNE, contact hours.

An online continuing education course for nurses, medical health care professionals, and other interested individuals.

Skin ulceration and wound care is a complex and challenging area of nursing care. And yet, today’s nurses face these skin complications on an almost daily basis in almost every healthcare setting. This instructional course has been designed for nurses providing care to patients with, or at risk for wounds. There are numerous factors that increase one’s risk of a difficult-to-treat wound. With an aging population and an expanding number of individuals with diabetes mellitus, which is associated with wounds of various types, nurses in all settings need a working knowledge of skin integrity issues, including risk factors associated with altered skin integrity, recognition of various types of wounds, preventative measures, and effective interventions. This course has been designed to provide the nurse with a working comprehension of the etiology, treatment modalities, and prevention strategies currently available for the various types of wound encountered in our professional settings.. Numerous pictures and videos are included to enhance the learning experience.

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to: 

1. Discuss skin anatomy and physiology.
2. Distinguish between normal and abnormal wound healing.
3. Recognize the major types of wounds.
4. Identify the tools used to diagnose and classify wounds.
5. List the treatment options used for various types of wounds.

Curriculum

Chapter 1: Normal Skin Anatomy and Physiology

• Epidermis
• Dermis
• Hypodermis

Chapter 2: Normal Wound Healing Pro

• Injury Phase
• Inflammatory Phase
• Proliferative Phase
• Remodeling Phase

Chapter 3: Risks for Abnormal Wound Healing

• Risk Factors
• Age
• Nutritional Status
• Co-morbidities
• Chronicity of Skin Insult
• Risk Assessment

Chapter 4: General Wound Treatment Options

• Dressings
• Types
• Debridement
• Types
• Surgical Closure
• First Intention
• Secondary Intention
• Tertiary Intention
• Skin Graft
• Skin Flap
• Skin Substitute
• Nutritional Support
• Hyperbaric Therapy
• Negative Pressure Wound Therapy

Chapter 5: Cuts/Lacerations

• Description
• Treatment

Chapter 6: Perineal Skin Breakdown

• Description
• Treatment

Chapter 7: Skin Tears

• Description
• Treatment

Chapter 8: Decubitus Ulcers

• Description
• Diagnostic Tools
• Treatment

Chapter 9: Diabetic Foot Ulcers

• Description
• Treatment
• Prevention

Chapter 10: Venous Ulcers

• Description
• Diagnostic Tools
• Treatment

Chapter 11: Arterial Ulcers

• Description
• Diagnostic Tools
• Treatment

Chapter 12: Surgical Wounds

• Description
• Treatment

Chapter 13: Burns

• Description
• Treatment

Chapter 14: Bites

• Animal Bites
• Spider Bites

Chapter 15: Legal Implications of Wounds

• Scope of Problem
• Assessment
• Documentation