AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY TO ASSESS WOUND DRESSING PRACTICES AMONG HEALTHCARE GIVERS IN SELECTED GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS

Background: Wound dressing is a routine yet critical nursing procedure. Inadequate wound dressing practices increase the risk of wound infection, delayed healing, prolonged hospital stays, and hospital-acquired infections. Healthcare givers play a vital role in maintaining aseptic wound dressing practices; therefore, assessment of these practices is essential to improve patient care quality. Objective: To assess the practices, identification of deficit areas and association of selected wound dressing practices and selected demographic variables among health care givers. Materials and Methods: A quantitative, non-experimental observational study was conducted among 50 healthcare givers working in selected government hospitals of Punjab. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured performance checklist covering the preparatory, performance, and after-care phases of wound dressing technique. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. IEC number: 2024/08/1225. Results: The findings revealed that 64% of healthcare givers demonstrated unsatisfactory wound dressing practices, whereas only 36% had satisfactory practices. The highest mean percentage practice score was observed in the preparatory phase (89.89%), followed by the after-care phase (79.80%), while the performance phase showed the lowest mean score (75.27%). Age (p < 0.05) and work experience (p < 0.01) showed a statistically significant association with wound dressing practices. Conclusion: Wound dressing practices were largely unsatisfactory, particularly during the performance phase. Regular supervision, in-service education, and strict adherence to aseptic wound dressing guidelines are essential to improve wound care practices and patient safety.