How to Become an Expert in Debridement: Nurse Perspective

The decision to initiate wound debridement and the choice of method depends on patient and treatment goals, available resources, and the knowledge, skills, and expertise of the attending clinician. The nurse, working at an advanced level of practice can perform the skills of debridement but importantly has the knowledge and understanding to assess the situation and make decisions as to the appropriateness of debridement and the choice of method and initiate treatment in consultation with the patient. Moving from novice to expert in the field of wound care and specifically debridement is achieved through further education, learning from others and being increasingly exposed to the situation at hand. The ‘expert’ nurse, most often seen as the tissue viability specialist has this advanced knowledge.