Nurses using wound care dressings with educational instructions attached to the outer package are 88% more likely to apply the products correctly than nurses who used the dressings in a traditional package, a new study has found.

“The implication for manufacturers of wound dressings is that they should make it hard for the nurse to do the wrong thing by providing clear, easy-to-understand instructions that are accessible on the outside of the package so the nurse can review the process before treating the patient,” said Dea Kent. She is the study’s author and the manager of the Wound Ostomy Clinic at Riverview Hospital in Noblesville, IN.

Full findings appear in the November/December issue of the Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing.  
The investigation used a wound dressing packaging system from Medline Industries Inc. based on a concept of “just-in-time” education. Instructions for appropriate dressing use are attached to each package. The study was undertaken to assess the effects of this educational resource. Eight facilities in central Indiana, including long-term care and other providers, took part in the study.