Which nursing action can help facilitate faster healing of a slow-healing ulcer?

• A. Obtaining necessary wound cultures
• B. Assessing the ulcer during each dressing
• C. Using liquid skin barrier on periwound skin
• D. Irrigating the wound with topical agents frequently

Answer: (B)

Regular, ongoing wound assessment at every dressing change is essential to speed healing. By evaluating the ulcer each time, the nurse tracks progress—size and depth, tissue type (granulation, necrosis, or slough), exudate amount and quality, odor, and the condition of the surrounding skin. This information guides timely adjustments in care: choosing the right dressing to maintain a balanced moisture level, deciding when debridement is needed, addressing infection early, and optimizing factors like nutrition and perfusion. Early detection of complications allows care to be tailored to keep the wound moving through the healing stages rather than stalling. While protecting periwound skin with a barrier can help, and cultures or irrigation have roles in specific situations, they don’t consistently promote faster healing when used in isolation.