Wound Care for the Correctional Nurse
In the correctional environment, depending upon the population and the type of facility (jail or prison), the wounds typically seen could be acute or chronic, but all require nursing assessment, treatment and monitoring. In this class, both acute and chronic wounds will be discussed. Obtaining the wound history, conducting a wound assessment, and usual treatments will be discussed. Nursing interventions for the patient with a wound will be reviewed, including types of dressings and patient education regarding his/her self-care. We will also discuss the stages of wound healing and the importance of wound color. Finally, patient conditions that can affect wound healing will be reviewed.