Fundamentals of Nursing Q 85
A client’s wound is not healing and appears to be worsening with the current treatment. The nurse first considers:
A. Notifying the physician.
B. Calling the wound care nurse.
C. Changing the wound care treatment.
D. Consulting with another nurse.
Correct Answer: B. Calling the wound care nurse.
Calling the wound care nurse as a consultant is appropriate because he or she is a specialist in the area of wound management. Professional and competent nurses recognize limitations and seek appropriate consultation. As the largest health care workforce, nurses apply their knowledge, skills, and experience to care for the various and changing needs of patients. A large part of the demands of patient care is centered on the work of nurses.
Option A: Option A may be appropriate after deciding on a plan of action with the wound care nurse specialist. The nurse may need to obtain orders for special wound care products. Interprofessional and interprofessional collaboration, through multidisciplinary teams, is important in the right work environments. Skills for teamwork are considered nontechnical and include leadership, mutual performance monitoring, adaptability, and flexibility.
Option C: Option C is possible unless the nurse is knowledgeable in wound management, this could delay wound healing. Also, the current wound management plan could have been ordered by the physician. Clinicians working in teams will make fewer errors when they work well together, use well-planned and standardized processes, know team members and their own responsibilities, and constantly monitor team members’ performance to prevent errors before they could cause harm.
Option D: Another nurse most likely will not be knowledgeable about wounds, and the primary nurse would know the history of the wound management plan. Understanding the complexity of the work environment and engaging in strategies to improve its effects is paramount to higher-quality, safer care.