Wound Care Basics for New Nurses: What They Don’t Teach You in School
Wound care basics explained below.
If you’re like most new nurses, wound care feels like one of those things you were supposed to learn — but never really did. Maybe you had one lab on packing a wound with gauze. Maybe your clinical instructor did most of it and told you to “watch this time.” Or maybe, thanks to pandemic-era schooling, you never even saw a wound up close.
So when you’re handed your first real dressing change order at work, it’s no wonder your stomach flips. Here is a link to a wound care check sheet for you https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:b50f6c2c-3ee7-4168-825d-ac99ff11f3da
This blog is for you.
It’s not going to teach you everything — that takes time and experience. But it will give you a clear foundation for wound types, staging, dressing selection, and documentation — in plain English, with your questions already in mind.
Let’s dive in!
Why Wound Care Matters — and Why You Might Feel Behind
Here’s the truth: Wounds are everywhere — in nursing homes, hospitals, clinics, home care. And wounds that aren’t treated properly can lead to infection, sepsis, lawsuits, and long-term suffering for your patient.
But most new nurses start off underprepared. Not because they didn’t study — but because they didn’t see. No one gets confident doing something they only practiced once on a mannequin. This blog will give you a way to start building that confidence piece by piece.
Understanding the Main Types of Wounds: A Guide for New Nurses
Let’s start with the basics. You’re going to see all sorts of wounds in practice, but most fall into one of these categories:
Stages of a pressure ulcer
Pressure Injuries (aka Pressure Ulcers)
From unrelieved pressure over bony areas. Common in bedbound patients.Surgical Wounds
Incisions that are either healing well (closed) or complicated by infection or dehiscence (opening).
Clean, closed surgical incision with mild erythema. This wound is healing well — minimal drainage, no signs of infection, and edges are approximated.
Diabetic Ulcers
Typically on feet or lower legs. Caused by poor circulation and nerve damage.
Venous Stasis Ulcers
Often seen on the lower legs. Caused by blood pooling and poor venous return.Arterial Ulcers
Result from poor blood supply. These wounds are painful and don’t heal well.Traumatic Wounds
From accidents, falls, or skin tears.
Wound Staging — Especially for Pressure Injuries
This is a big one. Especially in long-term care, you’ll hear people talk about “Stage 2 wounds” or “unstageables.” Here’s what they mean:
Example of a Stage 2 pressure injury: shallow open blister with partial skin loss. This wound is superficial but painful, and needs protection to avoid further breakdown.
Stage 1: Redness that doesn’t blanch. Skin is still intact.
Stage 2: Open, partial-thickness wound. May appear as a blister or shallow crater.
Stage 3: Full-thickness tissue loss. You may see fat or slough, but no bone or tendon.
Stage 4: Full-thickness loss with exposed bone or muscle. Often has tunneling.
Unstageable: Covered by slough or eschar. You can’t see the depth.
Deep Tissue Injury: Purple or maroon area under intact skin. Damage is already happening underneath.
Don’t Skip This Step: Wound Care Mistakes New Nurses Can Avoid
If you’re overwhelmed by wound dressings, you’re not alone. Most of us didn’t get much hands-on practice in school — and if we did, it was usually the same few types. But in the real world, knowing why you’re choosing a certain dressing matters just as much as how you put it on.
Here’s a straightforward guide to the dressing types you’ll see most often — and what you need to remember about them:
Gauze (Dry or Moist)
Gauze being used to pack a wound with visible slough. When packing, always document how many pieces you use — everything in must come out. (This is an example - Not a real wound)
Good for:
Light drainage
Packing deeper wounds or tunnels
Situations where you’ll be changing the dressing often
Watch out for:
Gauze that dries out and sticks to the wound
Needing to count pieces if you pack the wound
Not enough moisture to support healing on its own
(Repeat similar format for Hydrocolloids, Foam, Alginate, Hydrogels, Transparent Films)
When the Wound Nurse Isn’t Around…
Not all facilities have a full-time wound care nurse. Sometimes, it’s just someone who also does wounds — and they might not be there when the wound actually needs care.
Here’s what to do in the meantime:
Check the most recent orders and follow them to the letter.
If you’re packing a wound, count the pieces you put in and write it down.
Document your dressing change: What the wound looked like, what you used, how the patient tolerated it.
Notify someone if you’re concerned. If you see signs of infection or think the wound isn’t healing, flag it.
How to Recognize Wound Infections and When to Speak Up
Simulated training image: This demonstrates an advanced wound with signs of infection and use of maggot debridement therapy — a rare but effective tool to remove necrotic tissue. This is not a real patient or wound.
Watch for:
Sudden increase in drainage
New foul odor
Pain increasing or not improving
Fever, WBC changes, redness spreading beyond wound
If something feels wrong, it probably is. Speak up early — don’t wait for wound rounds.
You’re Learning — and That’s Enough Right Now
If wound care feels overwhelming, you’re not doing it wrong — you’re just new. Every nurse you admire had to start where you are now: standing at the bedside, unsure, second-guessing, and hoping they were doing it right.
You don’t have to know it all today. You just need to care enough to slow down, pay attention, and ask when you're not sure.
So the next time you peel off a dressing and think, “What am I looking at?” — take a breath and remind yourself:
“I don’t have to be perfect. I just need to keep learning.”
That’s what makes a safe nurse. That’s what builds confidence. And that’s what gets you ready for the nurse you’re becoming — one wound, one shift, one honest question at a time.
You CAN do this!
Click, download, and print!
Click on this link here: "My Wound Care Checklist" for New Nurses
This is designed to be printed, kept at a nurse’s station, or folded in a scrub pocket. Print your copy and start learning wound care basics today!
Comment below!
I invite my readers to join a discussion in the blog comment section to share tips and support each other in developing this essential skill.
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