Licensed Practical Nurse how-to
How to Perform a Simple Dressing Change
Wound care is a daily LPN task. Follow the provider’s order and your facility’s protocol.
Wound care is a daily LPN task. Follow the provider’s order and your facility’s protocol. In short: verify; perform; remove, then complete the remaining steps below.
Step by step
Verify the order, gather supplies and explain the procedure to the patient.
Perform hand hygiene, put on clean gloves and remove the old dressing, noting drainage amount, color and odor.
Remove gloves, perform hand hygiene and put on new gloves (sterile if the order requires).
Clean the wound as ordered, typically from the cleanest area to the least clean.
Measure the wound if required: length, width and depth in centimeters.
Apply the ordered dressing, secure it and label it with the date, time and your initials.
Document wound appearance, measurements and the patient’s tolerance; report signs of infection.
Safety reminders for licensed practical nurses
- Follow the rights of medication administration on every pass
- Practice safe patient handling and use lift equipment
- Follow standard and transmission-based precautions
- Stay within your state’s LPN scope of practice and ask when unsure
Key terms
NCLEX-PN · Scope of practice · eMAR · Five rights · PRN medication · Sliding scale insulin: see the full licensed practical nurse glossary.