Mr. Perez had had abdominal surgery. He was discharged with medications and instructions to change the wet dressings in the wound to dry dressings three times a day. The RN gave the dismissal instructions in a hurry because the hospital needed the bed for a new patient. When the RN asked Mr. & Mrs. Perez, “Do you know what to do when you get home?,” they both nodded yes. Mr. & Mrs. Perez spoke limited English. After a few days, Mrs. Perez contacted the nurse advice line to ask how many days she had to wait before she should replace the white dressings in the wound. With further questioning, the nurse realized Mrs. Perez was taking the gauzes out of the wound, then rinsing them at the sink and putting them back in the wound. The patient was readmitted for infection and to repeat the procedure. 1. Identify What steps should be taken to improve patient education for wound care?
2. Explain how body language might indicate a patient or family member may not fully understand compliance with their medical care?
3. Discuss What can be done to prevent this from happening?