Abstract
Introduction
People with mental illnesses are at increased risk of developing skin wounds. Very few studies addressed the wound care needs for psychiatric patients and the educational needs for psychiatric and mental health nurses (PMHNs).
Aim
A wound care education – feasibility and quality improvement project ‐ was implemented to improve wound care competence among nurses on the Seniors’ Mental Health Units at a psychiatric hospital.
Methods
36 nurses participated in wound care knowledge education and completed both the pretest and posttest. Four nurses participated in wound care skills training.
Results
The post‐intervention mean score increase for wound care knowledge was 5.14 (178%) and for skills was 7 (75.7%). The results were statistically significant (p< .001).
Discussion
This study adds to the existing evidence by offering an evidence‐based solution to equip PMHNs with the necessary knowledge and skills to provide high‐quality wound care to patients.
Implications for Practice and Research
Future mental health nursing practice and research need to focus on finding evidence‐based practical solutions to help support PMHNs improve their ability to care for physical illnesses. A future pilot randomized controlled trial will be needed to estimate the parameters for a full trial and cost‐effectiveness study.