Wound Care Frustration

Specialties Geriatric

Published

This situation seems to happen a lot in our facility. Like just yesterday for example. I went to change a dressing to a residents lower extremity, and its a BID change. Hadnt been changed since friday 2.23.07. This wound is a stage II to stage III ulcer. Small, but irregardless. I get so frustrated that these nurses continue to overlook, but sign off, for treatments. It makes me sad to think that they just dont care. I know we all forget to do something once and a while, getting busy and such, but this is a 19 res. facility. It can all get done in one day. Anyway, I brought it to the attention of my don, so hopefully people will be more aware of resident care. Thanks for those of you who took the time to read this..:monkeydance:

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wow unbelievable. Thank god.. that never happened to me...

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Working every other or every weekend, I found this alot. I amost always sign and date my dressings. I also wrap or dress my wounds the same way (as per docs orders), so when I come in and find my same dressing...yep,it gets the blood boiling. I totally understand if a dressing doesn't get done or if it needs to be passed on to the next shift,but letting it go more than one or two shifts...no. Esp when they sigh it off.

Yep...I'd mention it to the DON. Plain and simple it is neglect and signing the TAR that they are done is falsification.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, , Home health, Education.

Maybe it should be written up like a medication error. I can see if one of the dressing changes is missed but if it continues to be a problem it would constitute a med error.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

It is neglect pure and simple. I've suspended nurses for signing off treatments they hadn't done. It might seem harsh, but we all must think of the welfare of the residents and OUR licenses. The surveyors would certainly have a field day if the wound got worse because the treatment hadn't been done (and sorry, with 19 patients there is no excuse.)

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

Fill out an incident report-this is a med error..cut the old dressing off and place it in a plastic bag and present both to your supervisor....

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Specializes in Tele, Infectious Disease, OHN.

Reminds of when I went to change a dressing and the previous nurse crossed out my initials and date, then added her own. Of course she documented she had changed it...

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Reminds of when I went to change a dressing and the previous nurse crossed out my initials and date, then added her own. Of course she documented she had changed it...

Unbelievable. I also get very angry when I know dressings haven't been changed. We've brought it up recently to our DNS and she doesn't seem to care.

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Specializes in nursing home care.

My problem is staff who do dressings a) not documenting them properly ie what it looks like, size etc and b) not putting the next dressing date in the diary. Really gets me!

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Specializes in Case Management.
Reminds of when I went to change a dressing and the previous nurse crossed out my initials and date, then added her own. Of course she documented she had changed it...

:eek: :banghead: :smackingf :madface: :stone :sniff:

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I would be frustrated too if wound care is not done when it should be, but what really gets me is when lotions are on the treatment list (eucerin, A & D, destin etc). And I am expected to fit that into my already hectic schedule, when the CNA's can just as easily do it upon waking and putting the residents to bed. Neglecting a wound can lead to a much bigger problem for anyone to deal with, I agree.

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