Quality of life in leg ulcer assessment: patients' coping mechanisms

An increase in autonomous practice and the need to evidence professional update puts demands on individual nurses to reflect on their knowledge and practice. Community nurses have become expert at managing wounds, particularly leg ulcers, and using a variety of assessment strategies. However, reflections focused on the expert patient and their coping mechanisms may suggest that holistic assessment and treatment of these patients requires consideration of additional factors. The introduction of quality of life (QoL) tools may provide the rationale for an individual patient's nursing care in this specific context. Placing emphasis on the social and psychological impact of living with a leg ulcer - from the patient's perspective - may direct collaborative assessment and informed decision making.