Description & Objectives:

Start each wound assessment by reviewing the patient’s medical history and examining their skin and wounds. Use all your senses—look, listen, touch, and smell. Focus on high-risk areas: bony prominences, under medical devices, areas with too much or too little fat, and the lower legs. Wound assessment is ongoing. Start with a full exam, follow up regularly, and reassess with any changes. Keep your detective hat on to document the wound’s cause, location, appearance, and treatment accurately.

Upon completion of this lesson, participants will be able to:

List 3 types of tissue or structures that may be visible in an assessment of a full-thickness wound.
Identify 2 tissue characteristics that may be observed on the wound edge or periwound skin.
Discuss 3 wound exudate characteristics that may be observed during wound assessment.

Speaker(s): Nancy Morgan, RN, BSN, MBA, WOC, CWHS

Target Audience: Nurses, physical therapists, dietitians, and other healthcare professionals interested in wound care.

CE Credit(s): 1.0

CE Statement: Provider, Nancy Morgan Wound Care, approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, provider #17756 for 1.0 Contact Hour(s). This certificate must be retained by the licensee for a period of four years after the course is completed, as required by the California Board of Registered Nursing.