Page 111 - APPENDIX B: Trials Investigating the Management of Acute Radiation-Induced Skin Reactions Reading Qualitative Research

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WOUND CARE

care namely, curative or palliative; (v) it is not clear if it is best practice.

Therefore, it is important to incorporate goals of care, patient preference and

contextual factors into ‘best practices’.

3) Although nurses reported a perception of consistency in wound care practices at

their centre, more likely was consistency in individual practice rather than

standardized institutional practice. This conclusion is based on the survey finding

that most centres (71%) do not have a reference document such as local policy,

Clinical Practice Guideline or Best Practice Guideline for when to remove a

dressing during radiotherapy.

4) Clinical decision-making and inter-professional relationships are key elements for

collaborative practice in the ambulatory setting. Nurses’ clinical judgment is a

valued aspect of inter-professional collaborative practice in clinical decision-

making for wound management in radiation oncology.

5) Radiation Therapy Nurses approach a broad interpretation of Evidence Based

Practice to include empirical evidence, patient preference, clinical experience and

expert opinion.

6) Evidence-based standardization of wound care practices, particularly in the area

of radiating through dressings during cancer radiotherapy requires further

research.

7) Finally, insights from the study point to the relevance of the Person-Centred

Nursing Framework for practice, empowerment through shared governance and

continuous education requirement for consistency in wound management.