NuSkin on a skin tear...

Nurses General Nursing

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Ok, so I thought this was an odd thing to put on a skin tear, especially since the wound was not cleaned prior to its application. But the nurse (I'm a CNA) swore it was the best thing. I've NEVER heard of anyone using nuskin on a skin tear! Usually they use steri-strips. Being my curious self I asked her what the risks of infection was with using that and she swore they were zero. But now this poor resident has a nasty infeciton and the nuskin is not coming off. The poor woman! Has anyone ever heard of putting this on a skin tear? And how do you get the nuskin off?

Anyone?

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Specializes in Almost everywhere.

I don't know that I have ever heard of this. Are you talking about Nu-skin that stuff that is in a bottle??? If you are, I have used that a time or two on myself for finger cuts and it burns like all get out. I couldn't imagine using it on a skin tear. There are risks of infection with about anything. Does your facility have a policy on what to dress skin tears with? The ones I worked in did.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
Ok, so I thought this was an odd thing to put on a skin tear, especially since the wound was not cleaned prior to its application. But the nurse (I'm a CNA) swore it was the best thing. I've NEVER heard of anyone using nuskin on a skin tear! Usually they use steri-strips. Being my curious self I asked her what the risks of infection was with using that and she swore they were zero. But now this poor resident has a nasty infeciton and the nuskin is not coming off. The poor woman! Has anyone ever heard of putting this on a skin tear? And how do you get the nuskin off?

There's a lot more to caring for an infected skin tear than simply removing the old dressing.

I'm assuming that you've reported your finding to the nurse, and that the nurse has now documented the appearance of the wound and has called the doc for further instructions.

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Yes, I reported it. I know there's alot more to treating it than taking the nu-skin off. We were trying to remove it to put an anti bacterial cream on it for the time being until she could get to the doctors (his orders). We just couldn't get it off...wasn't sure if anything got that stuff off. There's no policy on how to treat injuries or anything at this facility...there really should be though. A couple of the nurses, including the one that put this on the skin tear, need to go back to school (IMO). I actually had to show one of them how to treat a skin tear (cleaning it and moving the skin down and stuff) and apply steri strips one time because she was just going to put a band aid on it...nothing else! She actually said to me "I always wondered what those little strips were for"...do they teach you that stuff in school?

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.
do they teach you that stuff in school?

And I'm not saying this is right, but NO, they did not teach skin breakdown/wound care when I was in school (ADN program, well regarded). We were taught that there are dozens of methods for treating skin breakdown and the key was consistancy, but we were not taught any actual methods. We were taught sterile dressing changes but not specifically skin tears or decubiti.

Few of the facilities I've worked at have standardized wound care protocols which I find sad because the couple of places that did have one wounds stood a better chance because there was . . . consistancy!

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Specializes in Almost everywhere.

I agree with Tiffy, no these aren't things necessarily taught in nursing school specifically how to treat a skin tear, the use of steri-strips etc. This is often something that is learned in your practice. I can understand your frustration. Maybe your facility needs to have an inservice on skin care to include what to do when there is a skin tear and then they need to implement a plan of action and a policy regarding what to use and how to do it. If your facility has a lot of skin tears happening, that needs to be looked into as well. Places that have a plan with everyone on the same page tend to fare better. I know of nothing that takes off Nu-skin except time.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

I still like the clean, use steri strips, and if all looks good then perhaps some tegraderm (see through bandage) on top to prevent the weakened skin around the wound from opening as well with motion or sheer. I started using the tegraderm years ago, and I like it...see through and fairly easy to peel off..and does debride a bit once removed.

The trick is to cut the steris beyond that of the tegraderm so if you have to remove it...the steri's can be held and stay in place.

Now I didn't do this with all skin tears, it depended mostly on the place and the patients history with infections, immune system, skin condition (not recomended for people with tissue paper skin..more damage if you have to take it off than it is worth), and location of the skin tear.

Then a wound care nurse agreed with me that that was a cool idea, but she will actually clean the wound, put triple antibiotic ointment or even vasoline over the initial tear so the tegraderm doesn't stick to the opening! COOL!

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.
I still like the clean, use steri strips, and if all looks good then perhaps some tegraderm (see through bandage) on top to prevent the weakened skin around the wound from opening as well with motion or sheer. I started using the tegraderm years ago, and I like it...see through and fairly easy to peel off..and does debride a bit once removed.

The trick is to cut the steris beyond that of the tegraderm so if you have to remove it...the steri's can be held and stay in place.

Now I didn't do this with all skin tears, it depended mostly on the place and the patients history with infections, immune system, skin condition (not recomended for people with tissue paper skin..more damage if you have to take it off than it is worth), and location of the skin tear.

Then a wound care nurse agreed with me that that was a cool idea, but she will actually clean the wound, put triple antibiotic ointment or even vasoline over the initial tear so the tegraderm doesn't stick to the opening! COOL!

Just anecdotal from being old, but what you do is what I have seen has been a good way to deal with skin tears. Absolutely cleanse the site. You don't just want to seal off those ol' germs. Sounds like a culture for organisms to grow. Yuk. Tegaderm is our friend. Use it for good, not evil.

So clever of you to leave the steri strips hanging out. You smarty!

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Thanks Chadash! I totally believe in clean and let air dry, but with all the complications on 'not' doing a nursing duty I was forced by my facility to actually apply a dressing and monitor daily till totally resolved. So if I could actually get away with it, and it was a small tear...steri strips, clean BID, and let air dry! ;)

I have been told I am a young nurse with good old fashioned common sense. I take that as a high compliment! (and I am 36..not that young! LOL!).

The biggest thing with the tegraderm...CHECK DAILY! and I had all shifts check just in case..any redness..off it came gently and cleansed and no more tegraderm on it! Heck...sometimes a sensitivity reaction occured and ouchie! Gotta watch for that!

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.
Thanks Chadash! I totally believe in clean and let air dry, but with all the complications on 'not' doing a nursing duty I was forced by my facility to actually apply a dressing and monitor daily till totally resolved. So if I could actually get away with it, and it was a small tear...steri strips, clean BID, and let air dry! ;)

I have been told I am a young nurse with good old fashioned common sense. I take that as a high compliment! (and I am 36..not that young! LOL!).

The biggest thing with the tegraderm...CHECK DAILY! and I had all shifts check just in case..any redness..off it came gently and cleansed and no more tegraderm on it! Heck...sometimes a sensitivity reaction occured and ouchie! Gotta watch for that!

Yeah, You are a baby! But, you have the old timey, do it right the first time approach. I am impressed.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Thank you! I take that in the highest! HUGGGGGGG

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Hello,

I am NOT a nurse, but I am an NREMT-B. Not to sound like a smart-ass, but if you will read the intructions on the bottle (Assuming you are using the stuff that is called New Skin that you can buy at walmart for about $4.00) you will see that the only way to get New Skin off, besides time, is to apply more New Skin. I have used it several times on my kids and I have found that if you will apply more New Skin on top of the old layer and wait for a just a few seconds and then wipe it off while it is still wet, then it will come off with no problems.

My problem is this, the would specialist that my boyfriends son goes to told us to buy New Skin for a wound on his ankle. Well, that is when i bought this stuff, and I think it work great, especially on cuts and scrapes on our other kids. Well he just informed me on our last visit that I bought the wrong stuff, that I should have gotten Nu Skin bandages. I have never heard of them and cannot find them, he says I can get it at walgreens, but I cannot find it. He has the stuff in his office but it is not called Nu Skin but says that it is just like it. (kinds looks like a band-ade without the gauze in it. Any suggestions???

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