Nurturing the future in tissue viability

We are in fast-moving times in tissue viability. National work is bringing cohesiveness and consistency for wound care as an entity rather than discrete parts. I am thinking about the future and how we bring on a new community of nurses and nursing associates to implement initiatives and grow this work and area of practice. There are three important issues here: requirements of the professional body, education developments and the community culture of working groups.

In 2018 the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) issued Future Nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses. The standards (NMC, 2018a) include a list of proficiencies (Annexe B) expected of a nurse at the point of registration. From a tissue viability perspective, the proficiencies include assessment of skin status, positioning and pressure-relieving techniques, appropriate action to reduce or minimise pain or discomfort, assessment of skin integrity and using appropriate products to prevent or manage skin breakdown, aseptic techniques when undertaking wound care and observing, assessing and responding to potential infection risks. The list helps focus education and support needed in practice from practice assessors and practice supervisors, and the proficiencies are also a means of establishing capability and a baseline for the newly qualified to build on.