Honors College Theses

Publication Date

11-15-2022

Major

Nursing (BSN)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Faculty Mentor

Wilma Matti

Abstract

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) is a revolutionary technology being used more frequently in clinical settings across the United States. Though there has been extensive research on the efficacy of NPWT medically and otherwise, there has been little research regarding the healthcare providers’ perception of use of “wound-vacs,” the device used for NPWT. As new techniques and/or devices are made available for use in a clinical setting, the burden to educate staff falls upon patient care providers. The administration of NPWT is wholly reliant on a nurse as they are the ones to apply the dressing, change it and document the progress; therefore, the burden of application and monitoring of NPWT rests predominantly on nurses. A study was conducted on the nurses at East Georgia Regional Medical Center in Statesboro, Georgia exploring the time, skill and educational restraints related to learning a new technique and successfully administering it. Using a mixed-methodology approach, 5 voluntary participating nurses completed a self-paced survey answering questions about the use of NPWT in their respective unit. Despite the small sample size, the answers provided valuable insight into how nurses perceive their workload and the efficacy of NPWT in practice. The results suggest that NPWT is effective for patients as proven by previous quantitative studies but it does increase the burden on healthcare providers, though the workers do not have grievances as they are willing to be flexible for the sake of the patients’ wellbeing. It is important as we move forward to recognize the increasing skill load in healthcare nowadays, and increase awareness of moderating workload and appreciating healthcare workers.

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