Improving wound care teaching and learning in clinical practice

Madeleine Flanagan is Principal Lecturer, Postgraduate Medical School, University of Hertfordshire An increase in educational opportunities in wound care has not always translated into improvements in clinical practice. The problem has been finding effective teaching methods that can be easily translated into everyday practice. Tissue viability clinical nurse specialists and those who are responsible for teaching the healthcare team about advances in wound management should use an adult-centred approach and employ problem-based learning which is more suited to the clinical environment. This article explores this approach to education in practice and offers tips to educators to improve their effectiveness.