Table of Contents  
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year : 2016  |  Volume : 12  |  Issue : 2  |  Page : 47-49

Perception of healthcare professionals in University College Hospital, Ibadan toward wound care


Department of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

Date of Web Publication17-Mar-2017

Correspondence Address:
Ayodele O Iyun
Department of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, University College Hospital, Ibadan
Nigeria
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Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/0794-9316.202437

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  Abstract 

Background: A survey of perception of healthcare workers in a tertiary hospital [University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan] was done with a view to determine the need to introduce a curriculum in wound care for healthcare workers.
Materials and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was used to capture data related to knowledge and practices on wound care from healthcare workers in UCH, Ibadan. Descriptive analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
Results: One hundred and four healthcare professionals working in UCH, Ibadan, comprising doctors, nurses, and physiotherapist, with 61.1% over 10 years of experience in wound care were surveyed. Seventy-seven percent agree or strongly agree that healthcare professionals are knowledgeable about best practices in wound care. 50.5% agree or strongly agree that UCH operates best practices in wound care while 49% agree or strongly agree that wound assessment is standardized in the hospital. 96.2% agree or strongly agree that an interprofessional wound care course will be beneficial to healthcare professionals and that it will enable healthcare professionals speak the same language with regard to wounds.
Conclusion: Teamwork and definite wound care policy/protocol are essential for excellent outcomes in wound care. Introduction of this approach will enhance knowledge translation and encourage best practice in our health institutions.

Keywords: Best practices, healthcare professionals, wound care


How to cite this article:
Iyun AO, Ademola SA, Michael A, Olawoye O, Oluwatosin O. Perception of healthcare professionals in University College Hospital, Ibadan toward wound care. Nigerian J Plast Surg 2016;12:47-9

How to cite this URL:
Iyun AO, Ademola SA, Michael A, Olawoye O, Oluwatosin O. Perception of healthcare professionals in University College Hospital, Ibadan toward wound care. Nigerian J Plast Surg [serial online] 2016 [cited 2024 Mar 28];12:47-9. Available from: https://www.njps.org/text.asp?2016/12/2/47/202437


  Introduction Top


The management of wounds is essential in healthcare. Mastery of the art and science of wound care wound result in desired outcome of wounds. On the converse, the mismanagement of wounds, especially at the acute stage, will result in complications of wound healing such as chronicity and undesired scarring to mention a few. There is also the challenge of difficult-to-heal wounds that require skilled care. Healthcare professionals play a central role in the management of wounds. It is not uncommon for the wound care to be based on individual bias not on appropriate wound assessment and treatment. Over the years, there has been an explosion of wound care products, especially within the categories of advanced and active wound care products and devices; this leaves many healthcare professionals uneducated at the indication for their use.

Wound care transcends professions in the healthcare system, and accurate wound assessment and documentation of findings by the healthcare professionals contribute significantly to the success of wound care.[1]

Because of the central role in the management of patients of wound care, the need for continual professional development on wound care is imperative. The perception of healthcare professionals toward wound care also largely determines eventual outcomes and best wound care practices. The aim of the study is a survey of perception of healthcare workers in a tertiary hospital [University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan] with a view to determine the need to introduce a curriculum in wound care for healthcare workers.


  Materials and methods Top


The study was performed in UCH, Ibadan, a tertiary hospital in southwest Nigeria. The hospital has a staff strength of over 3000 which comprise at least 600 doctors and 1000 nurses. There is a wide complement of healthcare professionals such as nurses, resident doctors, consultants, and physiotherapist who work in the hospital and are involved in wound care almost on a daily basis. A self-administered questionnaire was used to capture data related to knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and practices on wound care to the healthcare workers.

The information obtained was subsequently analyzed.


  Results Top


One hundred and four healthcare professionals working in UCH comprising of doctors, nurses, and physiotherapist, with 61.1% with over 10 years of experience in wound care were surveyed. Details are given in [Table 1],[Table 2],[Table 3].
Table 1: Years of wound experience

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Table 2: Healthcare professionals

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Table 3: Wound care practice

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  Discussion Top


Wound care, especially chronic wound care, requires an interprofessional approach for appropriate care and its success depends on close cooperation among various professionals. The clinical services required to run a clinic include the vascular surgeon, plastic surgeon, general surgeon, internist, orthopedic surgeon, dermatologist, infectious disease physician, pain management team, and behavioral medicine physicians. The professionals also include staff nurses, dietitian, physical therapist, occupational therapist, and social workers to mention a few. Most of these specialties are available in UCH, Ibadan. There is, however, no coordination of the various specialties for the effective management of patients with chronic wounds; hence, there was a need for an ambulatory chronic wound care clinic to serve as the rallying point for a coordinated interdisciplinary response to chronic wound care.

The perception of healthcare professionals is important in improving best wound care practice in healthcare facilities. Deficits have been identified in previous studies in nurses’ wound assessment and documentation skills; the nurses’ knowledge in wound assessment was also identified to be insufficient to inform practice, and when knowledge was present, it did not reflect in clinical practice.[2],[3],[4],[5]

There was overwhelming support toward the implementation of wound care policies, addition of advanced wound care products to the hospital wound care formulary and the interprofessional wound care course to improve best practices in wound care.

The practice environment exerts powerful influences on practitioners that can encourage or discourage guideline adoption.[6]

In our study, the nurses were over 60% of those that the questions were administered to. This is particularly well representative because nurses are predominantly the potential adopters of wound care guidelines.[6] If the nurses are not on board in the implementation of any wound care guideline or policy, there is a high tendency of it not being implemented.It is very instructive in the survey that just over 50% believe that wound assessment is standardized, and there is a wound care policy in the hospital based on best practices.

There is, however, no documented wound care policy in the hospital, and wound assessment is largely subjective lacking standardization.

It is encouraging though in the study that the attitude foundation for best wound care practices is desirable by healthcare professionals, which is shown by the overwhelming support for:


  1. A wound care team to enhance best practices in wound care.


  2. Advanced wound care products should be part of the hospital’s wound care formulary.


  3. Implementation of an inpatient wound consultation service/clinic to enhance best practices in wound care.


  4. An interprofessional wound care course will be beneficial to healthcare professionals and will enable healthcare professionals to speak the same language with regard to wounds and wound care. It will also assist the healthcare professional to reflect on current practice and translate best evidence to facilitate practice advances.



  Conclusion Top


Wound care practices should be based on best practices. The role of healthcare professionals in the implementation of wound care policies cannot be overemphasized. Developing wound care curriculum to educating wound care providers, wound care policies, and wound care teams are some ways of achieving best care practices.

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

 
  References Top

1.
Oseni OM, Adejumo PO. Nurses’ reported practice and knowledge of wound assessment, assessment tools and documentation in a selected hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. Afr J Med Sci 2014;43:149-59.  Back to cited text no. 1
    
2.
Adejumorn PO, Fasanmade A, Adeniyi A, Ilesanmirn RE. The outcome of 60-seconds foot care screening education for healthcare workers at University College Hospital, Nigeria. Wound Heal South Afr J 2012;5:91-5.  Back to cited text no. 2
    
3.
Ilesanmi RE, Ofi BA, Adejumo PO. Nurses’ knowledge of pressure ulcer prevention in Ogun state, Nigeria. Results of a pilot survey. Ostomy Wound Manage 2012;58:24-32.  Back to cited text no. 3
    
4.
Ilesanmi R, Adejumo PO. Assessment of common interventions and perceived barriers to pressure ulcer prevention in southwest Nigeria. J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs 2014;41:242-6.  Back to cited text no. 4
    
5.
McCluskey P, McCarthy G. Nurses knowledge and competence in wound management. J Wounds UK 2012;8:37.  Back to cited text no. 5
    
6.
Lloyd-Vossen J. Implementing wound care guidelines: Observations and recommendations from the bedside. Ostomy Wound Manage 2009;55:50-5.  Back to cited text no. 6
    



 
 
    Tables

  [Table 1], [Table 2], [Table 3]



 

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Abstract
Introduction
Materials and me...
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
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