Super CPNE vets--about the wound

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

I didn't move the wound. Remember, it's attached to an imaginary human.

It was on my right, as if someone were opposite me and reaching out their left arm, wound towards the front.

Baloney Amputation, BSN, LPN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

There's a top and a bottom to the wound?

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

There's a top and a bottom to the wound?

There's a top and a bottom to the stump on which you dress the wound. It's a piece of an arm. A pretend arm.

Baloney Amputation, BSN, LPN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

Got that, but on my fake wound thing I got from my EC skills kit, I am not sure which end is considered the proximal and distal ends, since it's not on an arm already. There is a drain hole I assume would be the distal end and towards me, but I don't know. I am thinking I am orienting it right in practice, but I'm practicing with the wound all ways to be safe.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

Beats me, AC. Seriously.

Is there a pointy tip towards what I am assuming was the elbow? Try it with that on top.

NC Girl BSN · Jan 18, 2009

You can move the wound around. There is not rule that says it has to stay in a certain spot.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Jan 18, 2009

I totally flipped the fake arm around to orient the wound the way I wanted -- with the pointiest end of the wound towards the top. In a real patient, you could orient them any way you like, so they allow this during the lab.

ougreene · Jan 18, 2009

at the cpne we specifically asked if we could re-position the arm if we wanted to and the ces and ca said yes.

there is no real top or bottom of the wound. there is a narrower gash on one end and a wider one on the other end.

i did find that the 4x4 gauze in the cube that comes with the cpne skills kit seemed not as thick as the one at the cpne, so that actually worked to an advantage - being thicker helped cover the wound more.

one more thing - you can practice and practice wound packing but each time you will never be able to repeat the same exact way you just did it - you kinda just "go with it...", other wise you will drive your self crasy.

good luck!

gail

TLAandy · Jan 18, 2009

Hiya!! At least at Grady you could move the wound any way you wanted it. Ask during the orientation to the labs. My understanding is you can position it to your comfort. I worried over the wound more than any other station, because I felt like it was the one station where you need a natural talent, dexterity to be good at it, but from my experience at the CPNE, they sat in a chair on the opposite side while I packed the wound and they did not get up and look at it after it was packed. It was soooo much more about sterile technique than packing. I used the modified rope version, (I twisted the end a little bit, but nothing else) and it was fine. Good luck, hope this helps!!!

Baloney Amputation, BSN, LPN, RN · Jan 18, 2009

one more thing - you can practice and practice wound packing but each time you will never be able to repeat the same exact way you just did it - you kinda just "go with it...", other wise you will drive your self crasy.
good luck!
gail

it's not so much the packing but figuring out where to keep my hands so they don't accidently bonk the skin or wound. i'm not the most graceful creature in the land, so this is pretty important for me. :) i just got my own sterile gloves in the mail that fit right (i get to bring my own to the sim lab with my latex "disabilty"), so that is the biggest help ever rather than those huge gloves i got in my skills kit.

i will chillax, as my girls would say, and remember all my steps instead of cow out about the orientation of the wound if i can move it. i have a box of 50 gloves with only a few that i've practiced with, so i should have enough should i contaminate the wound a bunch of times.

thanks everyone!

exnavygirl-RN · Jan 18, 2009

In Madison our fake wound was attached to a dummy arm. I was able to move it around. The CE I had didn't care if my dressing was fluffed as long as I didn't contaminate the sides or have any dressing hanging over.

You'll hear some say that all CPNE sites are the same. I totally disagree. That is like saying all people are the same. Every site has different. Each CE is different.

You're going to do great!!