BHS30006 Behaviour Change Assignment Sample

• Subject Code : BHS30006
• University : Southern Cross University My Assignment Services is not sponsored or endorsed by this college or university.
• Subject Name : Nursing

Essay Writing: Steps Taken by Nurse While Managing Wound

This essay is focused on the video where a nurse was doing simple wound dressing. Some points have been highlighted from that video that showcases the correct practices that were undertaken by the nurse and also the practices which could be improved so that wound management could also be enhanced.

The first practice which was correctly performed by the nurse was to wash hand before starting the procedure of wound dressing. After talking to the patient, the nurse went and washed her hand thoroughly with soap and water for several seconds and then wiped her hands from a clean tissue. This step was very necessary because poor hand hygiene is the major reason for mortality and morbidity amongst patients all over the world. Hand hygiene can stop the transmission of infections which are healthcare-associated and which could cause severe diseases or complications with the patients (Jemal et al., 2018). Therefore, nurses must focus on their hand hygiene while attending a patient.

Another practice which was undertaken by the nurse correctly was to clean the procedure trolley’s upper surface. After the nurse wiped the upper portion of the trolley with a clean tissue then she laid the bandage on top of it with other necessary equipment. This step was necessary because while changing the wound dressing, a technique which is aseptic needs to be used to prevent and avoid infections within the wound. Even if the wound is infected already, the use of the aseptic technique would prevent the further progression of infection (Pickering & Marsden, 2015). Therefore, this practice of the nurse was appropriate with the procedure.

Another practice which was performed by the nurse in the right manner was wound cleaning and wound management using aseptic techniques. The nurse used clean and aseptic cotton and bandages for the management of the wound. In addition to that, she only used cotton for single wipes and then disposed of the cotton which was already used. As for the bandage, the nurse used a brand new bandage for wound covering. Sterile techniques for dressing have been used in healthcare to avoid infection and also because wound management would occur with golden-standards. Thus, it would decrease hospital-acquired infections and would increase patient safety (Huang et al., 2016). Therefore, the practice of using aseptic techniques while wound cleaning and management was correct.

The incorrect practice that the nurse performed was that she did not wear her gloves while she opens the new bandage and the instrument kit. Wearing of gloves is a very important technique because it reduces the risk of adverse effect on the health of the patient and with that, it also saves the nurse from acquiring infections while working with the patient. This will ensure that safe practices are being followed while giving care to patients. After single-use, they need to be disposed of to prevent the infection (Sheldon et al., 2019). Thus, it can be said nurse need to wear gloves during the whole procedure while she is managing the patient’s wound.

Another incorrect practice that nurse did was that she left the wound open for a very long time while she was changing her gloves. She took several minutes in wearing the gloves again and all this while the wound was opened. Leaving wound open could cause infection in the wound and thus deteriorate the health condition of the patient. This would also impact the quality of life of the diseased person. Wound management will also get complicated as the wound can get worse because of infection (Lindholm & Searle, 2016). Thus, the nurse should immediately close the open wound so that no further infection could be caused to the patient.

Another practice which was wrongfully conducted by the nurse was that the disposal bag was attached to the trolley. This bag contains all the disposed and infected material from the procedure that was performed on the patient. This can cause infection to the patient as the disposed of the bag contains the items which are thrown away after the procedure is complete. Infection can cause increased complications to the patient condition and also the death of the patient if the infection is not handled (Singh, Rani & Kumari, 2016). Thus keeping disposed bad near the patient could be dangerous as it is not aseptic practice.

In conclusion, it can be said that nurse took various correct and incorrect steps while managing the wound. She cleaned her hand thoroughly with soap and water and then dried it before starting the procedure. With that, she also cleaned the tray of the trolley and did the wound cleaning appropriately. However, she did not wear her gloves while working which was wrong. Moreover, she left the wound open for a long period and also kept the waste disposal bag with the trolley. This all can cause the risk of infection and could complicate the case of the patient and compromise patient safety.

References

Huang, X. L., Zhang, J. Q., Guan, S. T., & Liang, W. J. (2016). Comparison of sterile and clean dressing techniques in post-operative surgical wound infection in a chinese healthcare facility. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 15(2), 415-419. 10.4314/tjpr.v15i2.27

Jemal, S. (2018). Knowledge and practices of hand washing among health professionals in Dubti Referral Hospital, Dubti, Afar, Northeast Ethiopia. Advances in Preventive Medicine, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5290797

Lindholm, C., & Searle, R. (2016). Wound management for the 21st century: Combining effectiveness and efficiency. International Wound Journal, 13, 5-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.12623

Pickering, D., & Marsden, J. (2015). Techniques for aseptic dressing and procedures. Community Eye Health, 28(89), 17.

Sheldon, L. K. (2019). The importance of PPE use. AJN The American Journal of Nursing, 119(4), 10. 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000554528.24998.76

Singh, N., Rani, M., & Kumari, P. (2016). Assessment of Knowledge of Staff Nurses Regarding Aseptic Techniques at Selected Hospital-A Descriptive Survey Study. International Journal of Health Sciences and Research, 6(9), 290-4.

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