An exploratory study of nurses' perceptions of venous leg ulcers.

Abstract

The management of leg ulcers is largely undertaken by community nurses, who require clinical expertise in the management of Venous Leg Ulcers (VLUs) (Templeton & Telford, 2010). Furthermore, the drive towards evidence-based practice (EBP) makes it important to understand what influence nurses in decision making (Hallett, Austin, Caress, & Luker, 2000). Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the nurses' knowledge and perceptions about VLU care in health centres and community nurses. A questionnaire was distributed to nurses working with patients with VLU s which generated quantitative data. Sixty questionnaires were distributed, giving an 80% (n=48) response rate. Results showed that the participants of this study lack knowledge regarding the use of Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (AB PI) for the assessment of leg ulcers. However, most of the participants perceived four-layer compression as important in the management of VLUs, which is supported by research. Moreover, the majority of the participants have a positive attitude towards patients with VLUs and find caring for these patients as rewarding. In addition, the study revealed a need for local evidence-based guidelines which were perceived as important in the clinical setting. Furthermore, the study showed that the main perceived barrier in caring for patients with VLUs is the lack of communication between nurses, consultants and the interdisciplinary team. Therefore, the central recommendation based on the findings of the study is that interdisciplinary education for nurses, podologists, dermatologists, vascular surgeons, and doctors are to be organised on a regular basis. This will serve as a platform to discuss and disseminate clinical guidelines regarding the management of VLUs.