Three-quarters of practice nurses ‘regularly’ assessing wounds

Nurses are playing a leading role in the assessment and treatment of wound care in general practice, according to a new report which suggested care demand in this area was ‘only going to grow’.

The Power of Practice Nurses report – based on an exclusive Nursing in Practice survey of more than 600 GP nursing staff – found that three-quarters of practice nurses carry out wound care assessments on a regular basis and almost half (47%) actively prescribe treatment.

The report suggests that while there is a belief that wound care is being carried out ‘more’ in a community setting post-hospital discharge, it is also largely general practice nurses (GPNs) that are taking a lead in this area.

Related Article: Lyme disease: what nurses need to know

Eight in 10 (81%) practice nurses said they regularly identified signs of wound infection.

Meanwhile, half (50%) of the nurses surveyed said they specialised in wound care and that they regularly treat a wide range of conditions, including acute lacerations, surgical wounds, pressure ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, leg ulcers and infected wounds, all within general practice settings.

Just over half (52%) also said they were involved in choosing wound care supplies and devices stocked by their practice.

Antibiotics, pain relief, adhesive wound dressings, elasticated bandages, emollients, and antiseptics were named as the most commonly prescribed treatments by practice nurses managing wounds.

The other most common responsibilities for GPNs within wound care included:

• Prescribing medicines and treatments
• Initiating and adjusting treatment regimens
• Taking and interpreting ABPI/Doppler readings
• Cleansing and dressing
• Measuring for and fitting of compression stockings
• Suture removal
• Advising patients on self-care
• Treating post-op referred patients
• Referral to specialists when necessary

Rising demand for wound care

Clare Mechen, nurse manager and advanced nurse practitioner (ANP), suggested within the report that demand for wound care was on the rise.

Related Article: Specialist children’s nursing workforce ‘under intense pressure’

‘The demand for wound care isn’t going away – if anything, wound care is only going to grow as the population ages and more people live with diabetes and vascular disease,’ she wrote.

‘The only sustainable way to cope is to build teams that can work across boundaries, with the nurse at the centre.’

Launched this month and authored by Cogora’s director of content Gemma Collins, the report shines a light on the way in which practice nurses lead initiatives around clinical policy, quality improvement, and clinical audits, and are instrumental in helping practices meeting Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF).

And it highlighted that practice nurses were often the ‘first point of contact for patients’ across a range of clinical areas, including wound care, chronic disease management, women’s health, vaccinations and more.

Related Article: Over one million switched to combined asthma inhalers since NICE update

The report comes as part of Nursing in Practice’s How Nurses Count campaign which aims to highlight the true value of GPNs by demonstrating their leadership, innovation and influence.

Through interviews on our website and in our podcasts, the campaign is spotlighting the power of practice nurses and sharing accounts of the positive impact of nurses in general practice.