Skin/Wound rounds

[JamiePedsRN, MSN, RN]

Hey nurse friends,

I'm wondering if anyone's hospital or unit does "skin/wound rounds?"

The pediatric hospital where I work is trialing it on my unit (PICU). The entire skin/wound team is trying to see each patient every Tuesday morning to identify areas of concern, make recommendations and put a care plan in place to prevent and treat any potential or actual issues.

It's been a rough start so far, and I would love to hear from people who have made this sort of thing work.

Thanks!!

[Golden_RN, MSN]

Totally different environment, but I have done this in long term care. We had a nurse + CNA do weekly rounds. The CNA would assist by repositioning the pt, the nurse would measure/assess the wounds and document. The nurse would then follow up with MD/NP with her recommendations, to report wounds not healing, get new orders and care plan. The biggest piece of advice is to make the team the same people each week for continuity of care.

[FallingInPlace, ADN, BSN, RN]

I'm wondering if you could explain why it's been rough. I think it's a fabulous idea. Our SICU did it for a while, and it was rough at first because of push back from nurses, but once they bought into the idea, it was very successful in teaching techniques and helping nurses to think proactively.

[FallingInPlace, ADN, BSN, RN]

I'm wondering if you could explain why it's been rough. I think it's a fabulous idea. Our SICU did it for a while, and it was rough at first because of push back from nurses, but once they bought into the idea, it was very successful in teaching techniques and helping nurses to think proactively.

[Swellz]

We did this hospital-wide at my first job. We had skin champions from our unit who would go to another unit and check every patient and vice versa. Anything identified as new or worsening on that day was then followed up with by our WOCNs. The WOCNs rounded on the ICUs personally. Patients could of course refuse to participate, but few did. It kept everyone on their toes, but I do think there were a lot of stage ones charted on admission inaccurately out of paranoia.

[CalicoKitty, BSN, RN]

Many hospitals do monthly or quarterly "skin audits" NDNQI days. Every patient is checked for pressure ulcers. Those that the wound nurses don't already know about are checked out. At one hospital, the wound nurses regularly (daily or weekly) check all of the patient charts on the unit to see if they are documenting on wounds that they aren't aware of). My old job expected the staff nurses to do weekly check and measurements of wounds.