Current thinking on caring for patients with a wound: a practical approach

Wound care is increasingly nurse led. This article describes the types and causes of wounds, the six domains needed for systematic wound assessment and the principles nurses can apply to ensure evidence-based wound care. The author argues for the importance of a patient-focused approach in the care of people with chronic and acute wounds. It highlights, when specialist referral may be needed and presents a case study explaining the difficulties of managing a patient with a wound at the end of life. Nurses care for people with wounds in a broad range of clinical settings and it is a real challenge to provide optimum patient outcome (wound healing) and a positive patient experience.