Diploma of Nursing: Skin and Wound Care, Infection Prevention

This nursing report, prepared for a Diploma of Nursing program, provides a detailed overview of skin and wound care. It begins with definitions of wounds and explores the layers and functions of the skin, including the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous fat. The report also discusses the characteristics of dark skin and how to identify signs of damage around wounds. It explains avascular tissue and the mechanisms by which wounds make clients vulnerable to infections. Furthermore, the report outlines strategies employed in healthcare settings to prevent contamination and cross-infection, such as isolation, hand hygiene, standard precautions, and transmission-based precautions. This report offers valuable insights into essential nursing practices related to skin and wound management and infection control.

DIPLOMA OF NURSING 1
Name
Instructor
Name of the class
Institution
City and state
Date

DIPLOMA OF NURSING 2
Topic 1; Skin and wounds
1. Definition of a wound
A wound is a harm caused by physical means with the interference of normal connection of
structures of the skin.
2. Layers of the skin and the essential features
The covering is made up of three coats which are; the epidermis, dermis, and the subcutaneous
fat.
Epidermis
This is the outermost layer which is usually super tinny on some parts of the body, e.g. the
eyelids and denser on others for example at the bottom of the feet. It is the layer in charge of;
giving the skin its color through the use of melanin, building new skin cells which happen at the
bottom of the epidermis and guarding the skin using special cells which are part of the immune
systems.
Dermis
It is the interior layer that deals with the following; carrying blood to the skin using little tubes
known as blood vessels, manufacturing oil that keeps the skin even, lenient and impermeable,
producing sweat by use of sweat glands and comes out through the pores. Sweat is essential in
getting rid of bad stuff that the body doesn’t need and also in keeping the skin cool. The dermis
also deals with the function of growing hair which helps during cold seasons or when afraid.
Subcutaneous fat
It is the bottom layer of the skin which plays a vital role in the body by; monitoring the
temperature of the body, keeping fat and joining the dermis to the bones and muscles.

DIPLOMA OF NURSING 3
3 Functions of skin
The skin has four primary functions which are;
Protection
Epidermis being the leading line of security against external environment it continuously
replaces and sheds a lot of lifeless cells each minute to shield the body from; radiation,
contaminations, fluids and mechanical impact.
Temperature parameter
Skin supports temperature parameter via blood vessels and the sweat glands. Amplified
evaporation of secreted sweat declines body fever. Vasodilation makes it stress-free for the
discharge of some heat and lessens the body fever via the skin while during vasoconstriction
dermis holds certain internal body temperature. The oily subcutaneous layer performs as a lining
blockade, assisting to evade the bodies’ loss of warmth and reducing cold temperatures effects.
Perception
A crucial purpose of the dermis is to perceive the diverse feelings of heat, pressure, icy, pain and
touch. Sense is noticed via the nerve endings which are effortlessly affected by the wound. The
responsiveness helps in shielding us from scorch wounds.
Endocrine function
Covering is one of the critical foundations of vitamin D through the assembly of Cholecalciferol
(D3) in the two deepest layers of the epidermis.
Immunity
Skin guards dangerous pathogens and bidirectional warnings from entering the body through a
system of structural, molecular and cellular elements that are jointly denoted as the skin barriers.
Excretion of certain types of waste materials

DIPLOMA OF NURSING 4
Skin is a portion of the integumentary structure; the net of dead epidermal cells-fingernails,
toenails and hair that aids marsh off unwanted cellular materials. Sweat glands also play lively
roles in the excretory system that flush out poisons and surplus minerals from the body.
Enables movement and growth without injury
The skin is adaptable and supple which permits growth and display stretch and shrinking without
tearing.
Maintaining water and electrolyte balance.
When the body is losing a lot of water the kidney safeguards water by producing a small amount
of concentrated urine.
4 Characteristics of dark skin and how to tell if the surrounding areas of the wound are
showing skins of damage
Dark skin is a naturally arising human skin color that is rich in eumelanin colorings and having a
dark color. Characteristics of dark skin are; dark-skinned people have a habit of displaying less
signs of ageing in their skin, bronzing occurs with the dramatic recruitment of melanin rising in
the epidermis and lasts with the amplified production of melanin. Dark skin does not increase the
body’s interior heat consumption in circumstances of strong solar radiation, it compromises great
protection against UVR because of its eumelanin content, a manifestation of melanosome
delivery pattern and avoids direct and indirect injury of DNA.
Definition of avascular
This is a kind of tissue lacking blood vessels.
5 How a wound make a client vulnerable to infections
Clients with injuries are susceptible to infections due to the detail that; injuries perform as
locations for organism’s attack, the absence of immunization, inadequate information to evade
introduction to pathogens, insufficient primary barricades and contact with infectious agents.
6 strategies employed in well-being care sceneries to prevent contamination and cross
infection

DIPLOMA OF NURSING 5
The following are strategies executed in well-being care settings to prevent contamination and
cross infection. Isolation- there are two types of isolation in the ICU caring isolation for
neutropenic or other immunocompromised patients to diminish chances of obtaining adaptable
infections and source isolation of populated patients to lessen possible spread to other patients or
staff. Observing hand hygiene, succeeding standard precautions, e.g. mask, eye protection,
wearing of gowns to prevent dirtying of clothing and skin following procedures that are possible
from generating splashes of blood, secretions and fluids. Following transmission-based
precautions, e.g. airborne precautions, contact precautions and droplet precautions.