The nursing care of post-operative wounds

Abstract

The aim of the study is to determine how the principles of infection control are applied to wound management in surgical wards at the local general hospital. The objectives of this research study are to determine what nurses consider to be the risk factors for surgical site infection when assessing the patient, to determine what nurses deem to be the signs and symptoms of an infected surgical wound, to determine what information patients are given regarding post-op care on discharge and to determine the nurses knowledge when performing a proper aseptic technique when dealing with surgical wounds. To fulfill the study's aim, a self-administered questionnaire was utilized as a research tool. All qualified registered or enrolled nurses with more than one year of experience working in surgical wards at Mater Dei were invited to participate. Results revealed different answers from different nurses regarding certain aspects of surgical wound management such as when the first dressing should be removed, when the hair that would interfere with the surgery should be removed, how to adapt a large dressing to a wound and how MRSA effects wound healing. Such varied responses could be attributed to the fact that only 1.1 % worked in a surgical ward for more than 11 years. The study also revealed that the need for policy development as a means of guidelines for pre and post operative care for nurses working in surgical wards should be implemented.