Improved Wound Care Research Articles

Lessons from Making Wound Care Work: how to build a better future for people living with a chronic wound

British Journal of Community NursingVol. 28, No. Sup6 Clinical CommentLessons from Making Wound Care Work: how to build a better future for people living with a chronic woundSarah Gardner, Elisabeth Neal, Ali Hedley, Izzy Duddy, Keith SmallSarah GardnerE-mail Address: [email protected]Independent Tissue Viability consultant and Chair, Legs MatterSearch for more papers by this author, Elisabeth NealHead of Communications UK, MölnlyckeSearch for more papers by this author, Ali HedleyMedical and Professional Affairs Manager UK, MölnlyckeSearch for more papers by this author, Izzy DuddyConsultant, LexingtonSearch for more papers by this author, Keith SmallAssociate Director, LexingtonSearch for more papers by this authorSarah Gardner; Elisabeth Neal; Ali Hedley; Izzy Duddy; Keith SmallPublished Online:1 Jun 2023https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2023.28.Sup6.S22AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References Adderley U. The National Wound Care Strategy Programme. Wound Care Today. 2023. https://www.woundcare-today.com/journals/issue/wound-care-today/article/national-wound-care-strategy-programme (accessed 23 May 2023) Google ScholarBlackburn J, Ousey K, Stephenson J. Nurses' Education, Confidence, and Competence in Appropriate Dressing Choice. Adv Skin Wound Care. 2019;32(10):470-476. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.asw.0000577132.81124.88 Crossref, Medline, Google ScholarCensuwide. Survey on behalf of Molnlycke Wound Care. Q13. On file. 2021 Google ScholarGuest JF, Fuller GW, Vowden P. Cohort study evaluating the burden of wounds to the UK's National Health Service in 2017/2018: update from 2012/2013. BMJ Open. 2020;10(12):e045253. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045253 Crossref, Medline, Google ScholarMölnlycke. Making wound care work. 2022. https://www.molnlycke.co.uk/campaigns/making-wound-care-work/ (accessed 20 May 2023) Google ScholarNational Wound Care Strategy Programme. Case study: improving wound care knowledge and skills in the workforce: mandating online wound care education. 2023. https://www.nationalwoundcarestrategy.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/MSE-mandating-education-case-study-summary-Final.pdf (accessed 23 May 2023) Google ScholarNursing Times. Wound care services and the coronavirus pandemic: strategies for nursing directors. Nursing Times (supplement). 2021; 117:3 Google ScholarOpinion Matters Survey. Survey on behalf of Mölnlycke Health Care Limited. Data on file. 2020a Google ScholarOpinion Matters. Molnlycke Health Care Limited—Wound Care Patient Research. On file. 2020b Google ScholarPA Consulting. Interim evaluation of the NWCSP first tranche implementation sites and the NWCSP for lower limb wounds: evaluation report—highlights. 2022. https://www.nationalwoundcarestrategy.net/improving-wound-care/ (accessed 23 May 2023) Google ScholarSchofield A. What have tissue viability services learnt from the coronavirus pandemic? Nursing Times [online]; 2021; 117(3): 23–25 Google ScholarThe Patients Association. Chronic wound care survey—report on findings. On file. 2021a Google ScholarThe Patients Association. Findings-patient advisory panel event 2. On file. 2021b Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 1 June 2023Volume 28Issue Sup6ISSN (print): 1462-4753ISSN (online): 2052-2215 Metrics History Accepted 1 May 2023 Published online 1 June 2023 Published in print 1 June 2023 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

Wounds Care on Patients During The Covid-19 Pandemic Era

Introduction: Wound care is part of nursing management. During Covid-19, the practice of wound care decreased under normal conditions. Nursing management knowledge is needed on how to practice wound care during COVID-19 to provide a wound healing process. This systematic review aims to identify wound care nursing care management during COVID-19. Methods: Article searched from PubMed; ProQuest; and EBSCO; selected based on the following inclusion criteria: study focus on nurses practicing chronic wound care during Covid-19, focused nursing management, case studies, articles published in the 2019-2021 range, full text, articles in English. Results: In the final stage, 5 articles were found. The results of the study show that nursing care management uses telehealth and telemedicine services for wound care patients. Conclusion: The findings of this systematic review indicate that telehealth and telemedicine services can provide opportunities to improve wound care to patients.

Engineering edgeless human skin with enhanced biomechanical properties.

Despite the advancements in skin bioengineering, 3D skin constructs are still produced as flat tissues with open edges, disregarding the fully enclosed geometry of human skin. Therefore, they do not effectively cover anatomically complex body sites, e.g., hands. Here, we challenge the prevailing paradigm by engineering the skin as a fully enclosed 3D tissue that can be shaped after a body part and seamlessly transplanted as a biological clothing. Our wearable edgeless skin constructs (WESCs) show enhanced dermal extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and mechanical properties compared to conventional constructs. WESCs display region-specific cell/ECM alignment, as well as physiologic anisotropic mechanical properties. WESCs replace the skin in full-thickness wounds of challenging body sites (e.g., mouse hindlimbs) with minimal suturing and shorter surgery time. This study provides a compelling technology that may substantially improve wound care and suggests that the recapitulation of the tissue macroanatomy can lead to enhanced biological function.

Pressure Injury on Poststroke Admission Assessment to Skilled Nursing Facilities: Risk Factors, Management, and Impact on Rehabilitation.

To describe pressure injury (PrI) prevalence, comorbidities, and rehabilitation utilization among older adults with stroke at skilled nursing facilities' (SNFs') admission assessment. Retrospective cohort. Older Medicare beneficiaries (>65years old) with stroke admitted to SNFs. We extracted data between 2013 and 2014 using the Master Beneficiary Summary, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review, and Minimum Data Set 3.0. PI data were assessed during admission assessment. Of the 65,330 older adults poststroke admitted to SNFs, 11% had at least 1 PrI present on admission assessment. Individuals who were non-Hispanic Black, with a longer hospital stay, from lower socioeconomic status, with higher proportions of comorbidities (eg, underweight, urinary and bowel incontinence, diabetes, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, and infections), and higher functional impairments were likely to present with a PrI at SNF admission assessment. Compared with individuals with superficial PrI, individuals with deep PrI were more likely to be young-old (<75years), non-Hispanic Black, from lower socioeconomic status, present with a shorter hospital stay, an intensive care unit stay, with higher functional impairments, skin integrity issues, system failure, and infections. Compared to those without PrI or superficial PrI, individuals with any-stage PrI or deep PrI were more likely to be cotreated by physical and occupational therapist and less likely to receive individual therapy. Those with PrI poststroke had low documented turning and repositioning rates than those without PrI. Identifying modifiable risk factors to prevent PrIs poststroke in SNFs will facilitate targeted preventative interventions and improve wound care efficacy and rehabilitation utilization for optimized patient outcomes. Identifying residents with a higher risk of PrI during acute care discharge and providing early preventive care during post-acute care would possibly decrease costs and improve outcome quality.

Nano-Enabled Chronic Wound Healing Strategies: Burn and Diabetic Ulcer Wounds

The human skin serves as the body’s first line of defense against the environment. Diabetes mellitus (DM) and 2nd–4th degree burns, on the other hand, affect the skin’s protective barrier features. Burn wounds, hypermetabolic state, and hyperglycemia compromise the immune system leading to chronic wound healing. Unlike acute wound healing processes, chronic wounds are affected by reinfections which can lead to limb amputation or death. The conventional wound dressing techniques used to protect the wound and provide an optimal environment for repair have their limitations. Various nanomaterials have been produced that exhibit distinct features to tackle issues affecting wound repair mechanisms. This review discusses the emerging technologies that have been designed to improve wound care upon skin injury. To ensure rapid healing and possibly prevent scarring, different nanomaterials can be applied at different stages of healing (hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, remodeling).

Multifunctional and Smart Wound Dressings-A Review on Recent Research Advancements in Skin Regenerative Medicine.

The healing of wounds is a dynamic function that necessitates coordination among multiple cell types and an optimal extracellular milieu. Much of the research focused on finding new techniques to improve and manage dermal injuries, chronic injuries, burn injuries, and sepsis, which are frequent medical concerns. A new research strategy involves developing multifunctional dressings to aid innate healing and combat numerous issues that trouble incompletely healed injuries, such as extreme inflammation, ischemic damage, scarring, and wound infection. Natural origin-based compounds offer distinct characteristics, such as excellent biocompatibility, cost-effectiveness, and low toxicity. Researchers have developed biopolymer-based wound dressings with drugs, biomacromolecules, and cells that are cytocompatible, hemostatic, initiate skin rejuvenation and rapid healing, and possess anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity. The main goal would be to mimic characteristics of fetal tissue regeneration in the adult healing phase, including complete hair and glandular restoration without delay or scarring. Emerging treatments based on biomaterials, nanoparticles, and biomimetic proteases have the keys to improving wound care and will be a vital addition to the therapeutic toolkit for slow-healing wounds. This study focuses on recent discoveries of several dressings that have undergone extensive pre-clinical development or are now undergoing fundamental research.

592 Strategy for Improving Wound Care Compliance in the Outpatient Setting by using Take-home Visual Aids

IntroductionWound care compliance is a critical component in the success of treating burns in the outpatient setting. Patients and caregivers are educated with demonstration and written materials which have demonstrated a 24-hour retention rate of 30% and 10% respectively. This can leave the patient at higher risk for infection, increased pain from suboptimal dressings, and feelings of frustration. Research has shown that visual learners make up 65% of the population, with auditory learners at 30%, and tactile learners at 5%. We assessed that a combination of demonstration and visual aids could better assist different learning styles and improve wound care compliance. Our study goal was to assess the efficacy of the visual aids component through new patient encounters in the emergency department and outpatient setting using a six-question survey at subsequent encounters.MethodsThe study design is a prospective analysis with comparison to historical controls. Visual aids were designed by the burn physician assistants with assistance at an ABA-verified burn center. We created four double-sided cards made out of a water-resistant synthetic paper, with one for each of our most used dressings. The content of the cards included one of the following: bacitracin/fine mesh gauze with bismuth tribromophenate, bacitracin with low-adherent acetate gauze, silver nylon dressings, and silver foam dressings. Each card contains moulage wounds, step-by-step, and corresponding written instructions at a 4th grade education reading level. These visual aids were given to patients being discharged from the emergency department, or to new patients in the burn clinic. A six-question survey was administered at one week follow-up encounters with a scale of 1-10 (one being least helpful, and ten being the most helpful) assessing patients understanding of burn wound care and compliance. Compliance rates were abstracted from historical controls with similar burn wound severity.ResultsLimited data is available at the time of submission as the study is currently in-progress and anticipated to be completed by March 2021. We will be using descriptive statistics and comparative analysis to evaluate the results.ConclusionsPatients initial feedback has been overall positive with a corresponding compliance rate that is successful. Our patients verbalized their approval, with multiple patients stating that they plan to keep the wound care card for any burn injuries that might occur in the future. Additional research is needed to examine the impact of combined demonstration, tactile, and auditory learning aids. In addition, we plan to further expand our engagement effort to include similar wound care cards for pediatric patients as well as language alternative cards to meet our surrounding community's needs.

National Wound Care Strategy Programme: past, present and future

Wound care consumes a considerable proportion of NHS resources, particularly for services that deliver healthcare outside hospitals.1 It is estimated that around 50% of community nursing time is spent delivering wound care.2 The burden is considerable for people living with wounds who too often cannot access the right care early enough in their wound care journey. As we move through the Covid pandemic towards recovery, the need to improve wound care is more pressing than ever.

Infection Probability Index: Implementation of an Automated Chronic Wound Infection Marker.

The number of people suffering from chronic wounds is increasing due to demographic changes and the global epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Innovative imaging techniques within the field of chronic wound diagnostics are required to improve wound care by predicting and detecting wound infections to accelerate the application of treatments. For this reason, the infection probability index (IPI) is introduced as a novel infection marker based on thermal wound imaging. To improve usability, the IPI was implemented to automate scoring. Visual and thermal image pairs of 60 wounds were acquired to test the implemented algorithms on clinical data. The proposed process consists of (1) determining various parameters of the IPI based on medical hypotheses, (2) acquiring data, (3) extracting camera distortions using camera calibration, and (4) preprocessing and (5) automating segmentation of the wound to calculate (6) the IPI. Wound segmentation is reviewed by user input, whereas the segmented area can be refined manually. Furthermore, in addition to proof of concept, IPIs’ correlation with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels as a clinical infection marker was evaluated. Based on average CRP levels, the patients were clustered into two groups, on the basis of the separation value of an averaged CRP level of 100. We calculated the IPIs of the 60 wound images based on automated wound segmentation. Average runtime was less than a minute. In the group with lower average CRP, a correlation between IPI and CRP was evident.

Development and integration of a wound cleansing pathway into clinical practice.

Wound bed preparation has come into sharper focus over the past decade, with strategies identified to improve wound condition. This article focuses on implementing a wound cleansing policy and measuring, through audits, how this change affected rates of wound infection. From 2016 onwards, the Skin Integrity Team at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust took steps to revise and improve wound care practices. This resulted in the introduction of a wound cleansing pathway incorporating a surfactant-based cleanser in place of saline, with subsequent staff training and other changes made to practice. This study details the steps taken to implement the new pathway, which brought a reduction in wound infections of 84.3% between 2017 and 2019.

Leveraging technology to improve wound care delivery and care transitions.

Leveraging technology to improve wound care delivery and care transitions.

This Review Recent Advances in Chitosan and Alginate‐Based Hydrogels for Wound Healing Application

Wound healing is a complicated yet necessary event that takes place in both animals and human beings for the body to repair itself due to injury. Wound healing involves various stages that ensure the restoration of the injured tissue at the end of the process. Wound dressing material acts as a protective extracellular barrier against potential damage to the injury and microbial invasion. Naturally, polysaccharides (chitosan and alginate) have inherent properties that have made them attractive for their usage in wound healing therapy. Alginate and chitosan have been used to develop novel wound healing and smart biomaterials due to various functionalities such as reducing swelling, non-toxic nature, biocompatibility, antimicrobial potential, and maintenance moist environment, ability to absorb wound fluid, and skin regeneration promotion. Functionalization of polysaccharides is one of the many approaches that have been used to modify and enhance the wound healing properties of these biomaterials. Many studies have been done to modify the polysaccharide hydrogels. Some of these are highlighted in this paper. The designing and development of smart hydrogels that react to their environment have recently sparked a significant scientific and pharmaceutical interest. Smart hydrogel development has been the primary focal area for developing highly advanced and sophisticated wound healing therapeutic technologies. This paper seeks to comprehensively shed light on the advancements of functionalized chitosan and alginate-based hydrogels and their applicability in wound healing therapeutics. In addition to this, thus identifying critical drawbacks faced in existing hydrogel systems and how prospective technologies enable digitally controlled bio-platforms coupled with biomaterials to improve wound care. This review hopes to stimulate and encourage researchers to identify future avenues worth investigation.

Areas of nursing competence in acute wound care: A focus group study

BackgroundWound care is an essential part of registered nurses’ work. However, previous studies have indicated that registered nurses have limited competence in this area. Studies have also highlighted the lack of consistent and standardised areas of competence for registered nurses providing wound care. AimTo identify general areas of competence for registered nurses providing acute wound care during their transition from student to healthcare professional. MethodsFocus group interviews were used to collect the data (N = 20). Separate focus groups were held for participants representing the following professions: (i) registered nurses; (ii) authorised wound care nurses; (iii) nurse educators; and (iv) physicians. The data were analysed using two-step inductive-deductive content analysis. FindingsThe two main competence areas for registered nurses who provide care for patients with acute wounds were: (i) knowledge, skills, and performance in aetiology and care; and (ii) wound management and assessment. These competence areas were divided into more detailed subcategories. The desired values and attitudes were as follows: respect for autonomy and privacy; holistic care; professionalism and courage; and economics related to wound care. DiscussionRegistered nurses play an essential role in the care and prevention of wounds. Nursing education on acute wound care could focus on the identified competence areas to cover the core competences for providing evidence-based, best-quality care for patients with acute wounds. ConclusionsWith consistent and structured competence areas, it would be possible to develop and improve wound care education and training at the undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Endoscopic Management of Enterocutaneous Fistulae

AbstractEnterocutaneous fistulae (ECFs), abnormal epithelialized connections between the small bowel and skin, are associated with significant morbidity, and pose a unique challenge to patients and clinicians. Management of ECF requires sepsis control, effluent management, nutritional support, and local wound care. Traditionally, surgical intervention was required for ECF that failed to close with conservative management. With the rise of therapeutic endoscopy, new management strategies have emerged. Fluoroscopy-guided endoscopy is now used to delineate anatomy and determine potential therapy options. Definitive endoscopic management may involve through-the-scope and over-the-scope clips, or endoscopic suturing devices. Adjuncts to definitive management include removing foreign bodies, alleviating distal obstructions, and de-epithelializing fistula tracts. Even if an ECF is not amenable to definitive endoscopic therapy, endoscopy may help temporize and optimize a patient preoperatively. Endoscopy allows for the placement and repositioning of drains, stent placement to allow for diversion or improved wound care, and the placement of enteric feeding access. As endoscopic techniques expand and more tools become available, the ability to manage complex problems, such as ECF, endoscopically will grow.

Evidence supporting wound care end points relevant to clinical practice and patients' lives. Part 3: The Patient Survey.

The 2006 U.S. Food and Drug Administration Guidance for Industry emphasizes wound closure as the primary outcome for clinical trials in wound healing. Wound care professionals understand that complete wound healing is not always achievable when evaluating new treatments. FDA, Association for the Advancement of Wound Care, and Wound Healing Society are working collaboratively to identify scientifically achievable, clinically relevant, and patient-centered endpoints with sufficient support to serve as primary outcomes for clinical trials. The Opinion Survey from People with Wounds presented here addresses an important but understudied issue: the gap between clinician, healthcare insurance companies, government agencies, and patient perspectives regarding clinically meaningful and scientifically achievable primary endpoints for wound care. The survey, adapted from the clinician survey with adjustment for health literacy, was pilot tested and revised based on a limited number of patients in a single clinic. After central IRB approval, the on-line survey was administered in English and Spanish and submitted anonymously to a server with the cooperation of multiple wound clinics and societies. Four hundred and thirty-eight patients and caregivers from across the United States responded over a 10-month period. Based on this survey, the most valuable clinical endpoints were reduced infection, recurrence, and amputation. The most valuable quality of life outcomes were increased independence, reduced social isolation, and pain. The top five endpoints in terms of usefulness for measuring clinical trial success were time to heal, wound size, infection, recurrence, and pain. Narrative responses from wound patients emphasized the inability to perform activities of daily living and pain as major factors that impacted their daily lives. Engagement of patients in clinical trials and evaluation of potential treatments is critical to improving wound care. This survey provides insight into the needs of patients with wounds and provides a roadmap for structuring future clinical trials to better meet those needs.

Challenges with Wound Infection Models in Drug Development.

Wound research is an evolving science trying to unfold the complex untold mechanisms behind the wound healing cascade. In particular, interest is growing regarding the role of microorganisms in both acute and chronic wound healing. Microbial burden plays an important role in the persistence of chronic wounds, ultimately resulting in delayed wound healing. It is therefore important for clinicians to understand the evolution of infection science and its various etiologies. Therefore, to understand the role of bacterial biofilm in chronic wound pathogenesis, various in vitro and in vivo models are required to investigate biofilms in wound-like settings. Infection models should be refined comprising an important signet of biofilms. These models are eminent for translational research to obtain data for designing an improved wound care formulation. However, all the existing models possess limitations and do not fit properly in the model frame for developing wound care agents. Among various impediments, one of the major drawbacks of such models is that the wound they possess does not mimic the wound a human develops. Therefore, a novel wound infection model is required which can imitate the human wounds. This review article mainly discusses various in vitro and in vivo models showing microbial colonization, their advantages and challenges. Apart from these models, there are also present ex vivo wound infection models, but this review mainly focused on various in vitro and in vivo models available for studying wound infection in controlled conditions. This information might be useful in designing an ideal wound infection model for developing an effective wound healing formulation.

Wound Size Imaging: Ready for Smart Assessment and Monitoring.

Significance: We introduce and evaluate emerging devices and modalities for wound size imaging and also promising image processing tools for smart wound assessment and monitoring. Recent Advances: Some commercial devices are available for optical wound assessment but with limited possibilities compared to the power of multimodal imaging. With new low-cost devices and machine learning, wound assessment has become more robust and accurate. Wound size imaging not only provides area and volume but also the proportion of each tissue on the wound bed. Near-infrared and thermal spectral bands also enhance the classical visual assessment. Critical Issues: The ability to embed advanced imaging technology in portable devices such as smartphones and tablets with tissue analysis software tools will significantly improve wound care. As wound care and measurement are performed by nurses, the equipment needs to remain user-friendly, enable quick measurements, provide advanced monitoring, and be connected to the patient data management system. Future Directions: Combining several image modalities and machine learning, optical wound assessment will be smart enough to enable real wound monitoring, to provide clinicians with relevant indications to adapt the treatments and to improve healing rates and speed. Sharing the wound care histories of a number of patients on databases and through telemedicine practice could induce a better knowledge of the healing process and thus a better efficiency when the recorded clinical experience has been converted into knowledge through deep learning.

Osseointegration of Extremity Prostheses: A Primer for the Plastic Surgeon.

Interest in amputation surgery has increased in conjunction with rising public awareness about amputee care. To date, plastic surgeons have impacted the quality of life and functional potential of amputees through novel strategies for sensory feedback and prosthesis control and various techniques for neuroma treatment and prevention. Osseointegration, which involves the direct skeletal attachment of a prosthesis to bone, has the ability to further maximize amputee function. There exists a critical role for plastic surgeons to help optimize techniques for extremity osseointegration through improved wound care and soft-tissue management. An overview of current osseointegrated prostheses and their associated limitations, and potential avenues through which plastic surgeons can help mitigate these challenges, are discussed in this article.

Facilitators and barriers of using digital technology for the management of diabetic foot ulcers: A qualitative systematic review.

The use of digital technology has been shown to be effective in managing chronic conditions. Telemedicine and mobile application are two common applications of digital technology in managing diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). The facilitators and barriers of using it for DFU management are yet to be explored. This is a qualitative systematic review. Five bibliography databases and grey literature sources were searched (2000‐2019). Two reviewers independently screened the citations, extracted the data, assessed the quality of the included studies, and performed thematic synthesis. Three studies on patients and five studies on healthcare practitioners (HCPs) were included. Two studies focused on the use of mobile applications and six on telemedicine. In studies on patients, four analytical themes were generated: the relationships with HCPs; the attitude towards the usage of digital technology; the role of wound image taking; and impact of digital technology on DFU care, encompassing 15 facilitators (eg, enabling community support, improving wound care knowledge) and 12 barriers (eg, lack of technological savviness, difficulty reading on smartphones). Three analytical themes were generated from studies on HCPs: the impact of digital technology on HCPs; the role of digital technology in DFU care; and organisation of DFU care delivery, encompassing 17 facilitators (eg, adequate wound care training, digital technology enables holistic care) and 16 barriers (eg, lack of multidisciplinary approach in caring for DFU, lack of direct contact in care provision). Patients and HCPs reported various barriers and facilitators relating to different aspects of using digital technology in DFU management. Our findings can help inform future research as well as the adoption of digital technology in DFU management.

Implementation of a wound care education project to improve the wound care competency among psychiatric nurses: A quality improvement project and feasibility study.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Compared to the general population, people with mental illness die several years prematurely. The prevalence of chronic physical illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease is higher in people with mental health illnesses, putting them at increased risk of developing skin wounds. The majority of the studies on wound care education and management were carried out in acute care and long-term care settings. A very few addressed the wound care needs for psychiatric patients and the educational needs of nurses in the mental health setting. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This study adds to the existing evidence by offering an evidence-based solution to equip Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurses (PMHNs) with the necessary knowledge and skills to provide high-quality wound care to patients. When a lack of wound care competency has been identified, it may be worth the effort to provide education and training to psychiatric nurses on wound care management. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: This project has the potential benefit of healthcare cost savings, which can be further investigated in a future study, for instance, a pilot randomized controlled trial to estimate the parameters for a full-trial and cost-effectiveness study. Future mental health nursing practice and research need to focus on finding solutions to help support PMHNs improve their competence in caring for physical illnesses. ABSTRACT: Introduction People with mental illnesses are at increased risk of developing skin wounds. A very few studies addressed the wound care needs for psychiatric patients and the educational needs for psychiatric and mental health nurses (PMHNs). Aim A wound care education-feasibility and quality improvement project-was implemented to improve wound care competence among nurses on the Seniors' Mental Health Units at a psychiatric hospital. Methods A total of 36 nurses participated in wound care knowledge education and completed both the pretest and post-test. Four nurses participated in wound care skills training. Results The post-intervention mean score increase for wound care knowledge was 5.14 (178%) and for skills was 7(75.7%). The results were statistically significant (p<.001). Discussion This study adds to the existing evidence by offering an evidence-based solution to equip PMHNs with the necessary knowledge and skills to provide high-quality wound care to patients. Implications for Practice and Research Future mental health nursing practice and research need to focus on finding evidence-based practical solutions to help support PMHNs improve their ability to care for physical illnesses. A future pilot randomized controlled trial will be needed to estimate the parameters for a full-trial and cost-effectiveness study.