Overview
The care of people with leg ulceration, and prevention of ulcer reoccurrence, remains a significant clinical challenge, particularly for practitioners working in primary care. Leg ulcers are frequently painful, may remain unhealed for many months or years and are a cause of concern to those afflicted and their health carers. Practitioners with responsibility for the ongoing care of patients with actual or potential leg ulceration require in-depth knowledge and practical skills to deliver a cost effective, quality service.
The management of patients with leg ulceration is expensive. There is a need for individualised holistic patient assessment, clear identification of underlying disease processes and the physical, psychological and social factors that may impinge on healing. In addition there is a need to achieve effective use of limited health care resources in respect of leg ulcer management and to minimise ulcer reoccurrence. Practitioners with responsibility for the management of patients with leg ulceration require considerable knowledge of contemporary research in addition to theoretical and practical skills which will foster and sustain the change to cost effective evidence-based practice.
Content and Modules
Level 6 (Undergraduate)
Pre-Requisites: Access to relevant clinical experience with patients/clients
Excluded Combinations: This module cannot be studied again at a different academic level
Module Leader: Helen Hollinworth
Module Contributors: Julie MacLeod, Clinical Specialists
Aims
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Enable the practitioner to critically analyse and link research and practical skills to effectively assess, plan, implement and evaluate the care required by patients with leg ulceration.
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Facilitate practitioners to minimise the risk of re-ulceration.
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Encourage the practitioner to critically analyse current practice and identify where changes to practice would enhance the quality of patient care.
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Foster an individualised, sensitive approach to patient care.
Learning Outcomes
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Reflect on, and critically analyse the current assessment and management of patients with leg ulceration within the practitioner’s area of practice.
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Evaluate alternative research based management and preventative strategies appropriate to the care of patients with actual and potential leg ulceration.
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Demonstrate appropriate knowledge and competence in the holistic assessment and management of patients with active or potential leg ulceration.
Summative Assessment
There are two parts to the summative assessment that together comprise 100%. The mark awarded will be 100% based on the written section (Part A). Competency in all aspects (Part B Skills Assessment profile) must be achieved to pass the module.
There are two parts to the summative assessment that together comprise 100%. The mark awarded will be 100% based on the written section (Part A). Competency in all aspects (Part B Skills Assessment profile) must be achieved to pass the module.
Part A
Based on a critical incident or practice situation, critically analyse own and current practice when caring for people with actual or potential leg ulceration, and identify how practice can be moved forward to reflect best practice. This must include a detailed exploration of the evidence base for the practice issue being explored. Word limit: 2000 - 2500 words.
Part B
Successful completion of the Skills Assessment Profile. The aim of the Skills Assessment Profile is to demonstrate the linkage of theory to practice skills and to indicate the practitioner’s competence in assessment, bandaging, and measuring for compression hosiery when caring for patients with active or potential leg ulceration. During the period of the module the student should arrange supervised practice at a centre that is convenient to the student and has been negotiated with the Module Leader. Their chosen supervisor must have studied a leg ulcer management course, have contemporary expertise in leg ulcer management, and have a teaching/mentorship qualification (Preparation for Mentorship or equivalent).
Level 7 (Postgraduate)
Prerequisites: Access to relevant clinical experience with patients/clients
Excluded Combinations: Practitioners who have already studied this module at level 6 are excluded from studying the same module at masters level (level 7)
Despite developments in treatment modalities, and a range of compression systems, leg ulceration may remain unhealed for many months or years. This is demoralising for clinicians and patients. Chronic leg ulceration can become a long term condition if care is not consistently based on best practice. Failure to identify and competently treat underlying disease processes may compound the debilitating impact of ulceration on an individual’s life. Patients suffering from this disabling disorder may not be receiving optimum care, perhaps because leg ulcer management is frequently complex. A detailed knowledge of the range of management strategies is essential to effectively problem-solve and evaluate outcomes in the practice setting.
When treating leg ulcers it is all too easy to lose sight of the underlying pathology and focus on the visible ulcer. Uncontrolled oedema and lymphoedema are major contributors to non-healing lower limb ulcers, and a significant management challenge. Pain can impact hugely on patients’ quality of life and their willingness to maintain compression therapies; safely issues when venous leg ulceration is compounded by a significant arterial component - these are just some of the continuing challenges posed by chronic leg ulceration. It is critical to evaluate the care of anyone experiencing leg ulceration, and to value the huge contribution to peoples’ quality of life that optimising care can bring. This module facilitates practitioners to extend their knowledge and clinical ability to address some of the complex challenges leg ulceration continues to present within contemporary healthcare.
Aims
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Extend the practitioner’s contemporary knowledge and expertise in relation to the range of leg ulcer management issues met on a day to day basis.
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Facilitate synthesis of research and expert opinion to equip the practitioner to address challenging issues related to leg ulcer management.
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Foster an individualised sensitive approach to patient care while considering the wider issues of resource management in relation to leg ulceration.
Learning Outcomes
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Critically evaluate contemporary knowledge and practical expertise to provide best practice for the range of leg ulcer management issues met on a day to day basis.
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Address challenging issues related to leg ulcer management through synthesised research and expert opinion.
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Lead the development of a leg ulcer service in their field of practice which has the potential to optimise the holistic care of all those with leg ulceration.
Summative Assessment
There are two parts to the summative assessment that together comprise 100%. The mark awarded will be 100% based on the written section (part A). Competency in all aspects (part B Skills Assessment profile) must be achieved to pass the module.
Part A
Based on critical exploration of a complex or challenging aspect of leg ulcer management applicable to where the student works, the student is required to make a presentation (normally power-point) that clearly identifies best practice and recommends how care can be optimised in the student’s field of practice. There must be a 250-300 summary paper including recommendations. This presentation will be to professional colleagues, a service user and the module leader (or equivalent) and a second marker.
Length - 20 minute presentation, with additional time for questions.
Submission date: towards the end of the semester in which the module is studied. The presentation criteria will be used for marking the presentation, in tandem with the validated level 7 seminar marking grid, by the two markers.
Part B
Successful completion of the Skills Assessment Profile. The aim of the Skills Assessment Profile is to demonstrate the linkage of theory to practice skills and to indicate the practitioner’s competence in assessment, bandaging, and measuring for compression hosiery when caring for patients with active or potential leg ulceration. During the period of the module the student should arrange supervised practice at a centre that is convenient to the student and has been negotiated with the Module Leader. Their chosen supervisor must have studied a leg ulcer management course, have contemporary expertise in leg ulcer management, and have a teaching/mentorship qualification (Preparation for Mentorship or equivalent).