Wound Care and Dressing in Nursing: Steps and Types | NPrep

Wound care and dressing in nursing means cleaning, protecting and monitoring a wound so it heals without infection. The nurse assesses the wound, cleans it with aseptic technique, applies a dressing suited to the wound, and records the findings. Wounds heal by primary, secondary or tertiary intention, and the dressing chosen depends on which.

Updated 13 November 2026. Types of wounds, healing and dressing steps follow standard Fundamentals and Medical-Surgical Nursing textbooks. Follow the doctor's orders and your hospital's protocol for a real patient.

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Wound care at a glance

Item	Key point
Aim	Clean wound, no infection, fast healing
Technique	Aseptic (sterile) for surgical and open wounds
Cleaning direction	From the cleanest area to the least clean
Common cleaning solution	Normal saline, unless ordered otherwise
Signs of infection	Redness, swelling, heat, pain, pus, fever
Record	Size, depth, wound bed, exudate, odour, surrounding skin

What are the types of wounds?

Type	Description
Incised	Clean cut by a sharp object, such as a surgical incision
Lacerated	Torn wound with irregular edges
Abrasion	Surface scrape of the skin
Puncture	Deep, narrow wound from a pointed object
Contusion	Bruise under unbroken skin
Pressure ulcer	Damage from prolonged pressure over a bony area

How do wounds heal?

Healing	How it happens	Example
Primary intention	Wound edges are brought together, little scarring	A closed surgical incision
Secondary intention	Wound left open, fills with granulation tissue from the base	Pressure ulcers, infected wounds
Tertiary intention (delayed primary closure)	Wound left open first, then closed later	A contaminated wound closed after infection is controlled

Healing goes through haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation (granulation) and remodelling. Poor nutrition, diabetes, infection, smoking and old age slow it down.

What are the steps of a wound dressing?

1. Check the order and gather a sterile dressing set, solution and dressing.
2. Explain the procedure, give privacy and position the patient comfortably.
3. Perform hand hygiene and put on clean gloves.
4. Remove the old dressing gently; moisten it with saline if it sticks. Note the drainage on it.
5. Remove gloves, perform hand hygiene and open the sterile set.
6. Put on sterile gloves or use sterile forceps.
7. Clean the wound from the cleanest area to the least clean, using one swab per stroke. For an incision, clean along it from top to bottom, then outward.
8. Assess the wound: size, edges, wound bed, exudate, odour, surrounding skin.
9. Apply the dressing and secure it.
10. Dispose of waste in the right biomedical waste bin, perform hand hygiene and record your findings.

Which dressing is used for which wound?

Dressing	Use
Dry gauze	Clean, closed incisions with little drainage
Transparent film	Superficial wounds; lets you see the wound
Hydrocolloid	Shallow wounds with light to moderate exudate
Alginate or foam	Wounds with heavy exudate
Wet-to-moist saline gauze	As ordered, to keep the wound bed moist

How is wound care asked in exams?

This is an NPrep practice question, not a past-paper question.

While cleaning a surgical incision, how should the nurse move the swab?

A. From the outer skin towards the incision B. From the incision outwards, one swab per stroke C. In circles, reusing the same swab D. In any direction, as long as the swab is sterile

Answer: B. Cleaning moves from the cleanest area, the incision, to the less clean surrounding skin, with a fresh swab for each stroke.

For more procedures, see bed making in nursing and hand hygiene in nursing.

FAQs

What are the steps of wound dressing?

Check the order, explain, perform hand hygiene, remove the old dressing, open a sterile set, clean the wound from clean to less clean, assess it, apply and secure the new dressing, dispose of waste and record.

What is healing by primary intention?

Healing of a wound whose edges are brought together, such as a closed surgical incision, with little tissue loss and scarring.

What solution is used to clean a wound?

Normal saline is the usual choice, unless the doctor orders another solution.

What are the signs of wound infection?

Redness, swelling, warmth, increasing pain, pus or foul-smelling drainage, and sometimes fever.

Why is aseptic technique used in dressing?

To prevent organisms from entering the wound and causing infection.

What to read next

• Up: Fundamentals of Nursing for NORCET
• Across: Medical-Surgical Nursing for NORCET and bed making in nursing
• Practice: free NORCET mock test