TO HELP US GATHER information on current wound care and wound prevention practices, please take a moment to fill out the following survey. In an upcoming issue, we'll publish the results to help you determine whether nursing practice in your facility is in line with current standards. Send your completed questionnaire by October 31, 2004 via fax: 215-367-2155; mail: Nursing2004 Wound Care Survey, 323 Norristown Rd., Suite 200, Ambler, PA 19002; or Internet: online survey at http://www.nursingcenter.com/surveys.
1. Moist wound therapy is the gold standard for chronic wound management.
[white square]true;
[white square]false
2. Wound pain should be rated by the clinician, not the patient.
[white square]true;
[white square]false
3. Wound assessment is a cumulative process of observation, data collection, and evaluation.
[white square]true;
[white square]false
4. The Braden risk assessment tool is used to assess a patient's potential to develop a vascular ulcer.
[white square]true;
[white square]false
5. The classic signs of infection may not be present in patients with chronic wounds or in those who are immunosuppressed.
[white square] true;
[white square] false
6. Wet-to-dry gauze dressings are best used to treat clean granulating chronic wounds.
[white square]true;
[white square]false
7. In a chronic wound, the only good bacteria are dead bacteria.
[white square]true;
[white square]false
8. Your selection of a wound dressing should be based on wound bed characteristics (such as dry, draining, clean, or necrotic).
[white square]true;
[white square]false
9. Stage I pressure ulcers are easily identified in persons with darkly pigmented skin.
[white square]true;
[white square]false
10. Enzymes are effective for removing necrotic tissue in chronic wounds.
[white square]true;
[white square]false
11. My facility has a policy for how often a wound assessment should be completed and documented.
[white square] yes
[white square] no
[white square] don't know
12. I can identify the four stages of pressure ulcers in my patients.
[white square] yes
[white square] no
[white square] sometimes
13. Specialty beds or mattresses are used in my facility to prevent pressure ulcers.
[white square] yes
[white square] no
[white square] don't know
14. Wound culture specimens are obtained in my facility by the following methods. (Check all that apply.)
[white square] swab
[white square] fluid aspiration
[white square] tissue biopsy
15. Nurses in my facility wear sterile gloves for dressing changes on chronic wounds.
[white square] yes
[white square] no
16. I know how to apply a compression wrap dressing.
[white square] yes
[white square] no
17. Povidone-iodine (Betadine) is used to clean chronic wounds in my facility.
[white square] yes
[white square] no
18. Nurses are licensed in my state or province to do minor surgical debridement.
[white square] yes
[white square] no
[white square] don't know
19. Please specify your state or province.
__________
20. Skin assessment is a part of my daily nursing assessment for all my patients.
[white square] yes
[white square] no
[white square] sometimes
21. A computerized wound assessment tool is used in my facility.
[white square] yes
[white square] no
22. I received sufficient education on chronic wounds in my basic nursing education program.
[white square] yes
[white square] no
23. I'm comfortable making recommendations to practitioners on appropriate wound dressings for my patients.
[white square] all the time
[white square] sometimes
[white square] most of the time
[white square] never
24. What's your age?
[white square] under 21
[white square] 41-50
[white square] 21-30
[white square] 51-65
[white square] 31-40
[white square] over 65
25. How many years of nursing experience do you have?
[white square] less than 1
[white square] 11-15
[white square] 1-5
[white square] 16-20
[white square] 6-10
[white square] over 20
26. What's your highest educational level?
[white square] student
[white square] AD
[white square] LPN/LVN
[white square] BS/BSN
[white square] RN diploma
[white square] MS/MSN
[white square] PhD or other doctoral degree
[white square] other (please specify)_____
27. Are you a wound certified nurse (CWN or CWOCN)?
[white square] yes
[white square] no
28. What's your clinical area?
[white square] medical/surgical
[white square] pediatrics
[white square] emergency
[white square] rehabilitation
[white square] geriatrics
[white square] OR/perioperative
[white square] intensive care/critical care
[white square] other (please specify)______
29. In what setting do you usually work?
[white square] home health care/community health
[white square] long-term care/subacute care
[white square] ambulatory/outpatient services/clinic
[white square] hospital
[white square] office nursing
[white square] prison nursing
[white square] other (please specify)______
30. On a separate sheet, please add any additional comments or observations about these questions or other wound care issues.
Sharon Baranoski is administrative director of clinical programs and development and administrator, home health at Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet, Ill. Elizabeth A. Ayello is faculty, Excelsior College School of Nursing in Albany, N.Y., senior adviser, The John A. Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing in New York, N.Y., and program director, Education Essentials, in New York, N.Y.