Effectiveness of compression bandaging education for wound care nurses

Compression bandaging is an essential component in the treatment of venous leg ulcers (VLUs). An adequate pressure and stiffness is needed in order for the treatment to be successful. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a training workshop on compression bandaging among wound care nurses who had no previous experience in application of compression bandages, immediately post-training and six months after training.

A quasi-experimental design, conducted at Maccabi Healthcare Services, in which nurses underwent a four-hour educational session, including practising with a device that measures sub-bandage pressure.

We assessed 37 nurses. Before training, 5.4% of nurses bandaged in the optimal range; after training, 58% bandaged in optimal range, and six months post-training, 37% bandaged in optimal range. At post- and six months post-training, no nurse bandaged 'too low' (≤20mmHg). Stiffness of the bandage was achieved in only 5.4% of nurses before training; 62% immediately after, and 75% six months after training.

We conclude that the proposed educational session using a device that measures the pressure applied is an effective way to teach wound care nurses how to use compression bandages. However, more practise is needed to achieve an optimal range of pressure over time.