Abdominal wound management in postoperative care

Abstract

The aim of this descriptive non-experimental study was designed to examine abdominal wound management in post-operative care. The objectives of this study were to examine the nurses' knowledge on surgical abdominal wounds, to enquire about the nurses' practices when managing these wounds, to examine if the wound care is patient-focused or not and to investigate the factors influencing surgical wound management. To fulfil the study' s aim, an interview schedule was used. A sample of 15 qualified nurses working in the general surgical wards in the local general hospital was selected by means of convenience sampling. Results revealed that nurses lack theoretical knowledge on surgical wound management, although they have a reasonable standard of clinical practice. Moreover, wound care is not patient-focused and a number of factors influenced surgical wound management. Recommendations include continuing professional development, and implementing wound care policies in the wards.