Simulated Wound Care as a Competence Assessment Method for Student and Registered Nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Skills Assessment
• Simulation-Based Learning

Background:

• Assessing practical wound care competence is crucial for patient safety.
• Existing assessment methods may not fully capture clinical skills.
• Simulation offers a standardized, safe environment for skill evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and utilize a wound care simulation.
• To assess the practical wound care competence of Registered Nurses (RNs) and student nurses.
• To observe and document participants' performance in a simulated wound care scenario.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, qualitative study design was employed.
• Data collected from 50 healthcare professionals and students in 2019.
• Utilized a validated 14-item checklist within a simulated wound care situation.

Main Results:

• Competence demonstrated in wound infection identification, debridement, dressing selection, tissue identification, and consultation.
• Areas for improvement included pain assessment/management, asepsis, offloading, and documentation.
• Simulation proved effective for assessing practical wound care competence in a standardized manner.

Conclusions:

• Simulation is a valuable tool for evaluating wound care competence in nurses and students.
• Findings can inform the development of undergraduate and continuing nursing education programs.
• Simulation provides insights into practical skills for improving wound care education.