The National Wound Care Core Capabilities Framework for England sets out the requisite wound care knowledge and skills for the workforce. The sessions in this wound care programme support the development of tier 1 and 2 knowledge and skills as set out in the framework.
Focused on the main principles of wound care, sessions include:
Tier 1 essentials
- Essentials of Skin Care – Skin anatomy, function and assessment.
- Essentials of Wound Assessment – Different types of wounds and undertaking a wound assessment.
- Essentials of Leg Ulceration – Causes of leg ulceration, types of leg ulceration and their management.
- Essentials of the Foot at Risk – Anatomy of the foot, undertaking a simple foot assessment and making appropriate referrals.
- Essentials of Digital Wound Imaging – The principles of taking a good quality digital image, including consent and data storage considerations.
- Essentials of Pressure Ulcer Prevention – Using the aSSKINg framework to assess and manage identified risk of pressure area breakdown.
- Nutrition and lifestyle considerations – The impact of nutrition and lifestyle behaviours on wound healing
- Essentials of surgical wounds – Recognise what a surgical wound is and differences in classification, identify the benefits and potential complications of various closure methods and the role of wound drains.
- Pressure ulcer risk assessment: PURPOSE-T – Explains how to use the Pressure Ulcer Risk Primary or Secondary Evaluation Tool, PURPOSE-T (© Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, 2017).
Tier 2
- The Foot at Risk – Assessment of the foot for peripheral vascular disease, including palpation and isonation of pulses, measuring toe pressure and ankle brachial pressure index, assessing for claudication, critical limb ischaemia and the WIfI classification system.
- Choosing the right compression therapy – Reasons for compression, different compression therapy systems, measuring for and choosing maintenance hosiery.
- Dressing wounds – An introduction to the concept of using evidence to inform decisions about dressing wounds.
- An introduction to wound debridement – Developing understanding of what wound debridement is and when it should be offered as a therapeutic intervention.
The interactive modules include links to videos and activities, with each module taking 30 to 60 minutes to complete. Certificates are available to download on completion of each session. Tier 2 sessions include a knowledge assessment which must be passed to gain certification.
