Wound management: using Levine's conservation model to guide practice

Effective wound management is needed not only to generate positive patient outcomes, but also to reduce healthcare expenditure and demand on healthcare services. Implementing Levine's four-principled conservation model--which addresses conservation of energy, structural integrity, personal integrity, and social integrity--can provide clinical and financial benefits, as illustrated in the care of venous leg ulceration. Using Levine's model as a theoretical framework for wound management also can contribute to good nursing practices, enhancing a care approach that embraces wholeness and health along with cost effective care. Understanding how Levine's model can improve patient care is further elucidated by discussing each of the principles in relation to wound management.