Wound Healing

Knowledge and understanding:

• distinguish between the different causes of ulceration and associated pathophysiology and relate to epidemiology, risk factors and assessment
• gain an understanding of the importance of the multidisciplinary approach in the assessment and management of patients with leg ulcers
• demonstrate application of knowledge to the by relating it to their own area of clinical practice
• show evidence of the ability to select and utilise appropriate literature in a structured manner
• demonstrate a wider understanding of the subject by appraising the impact of local and national guidelines and their relevance to service delivery
• communicate their level of awareness and personal responsibility in relation to their professional code of conduct.

Intellectual skills:

• critically analyse the current literature and evidence for leg ulcer management
• demonstrates an ability to formulate ideas and offer solutions to problems associated with managing patients with leg ulceration
• displays an ability to plan and complete an individual assignment with evidence of a balanced discussion to demonstrate integration of knowledge.

Discipline specific (including practical) skills:

• review the nurses role in assessment of patients with leg ulcers and explore the evidence for undertaking a comprehensive assessment
• formulate treatment and management plans for patients with leg ulceration
• review the role of the Hand-Held Doppler and within the assessment process of the lower limb.
• appraise the evidence for compression therapy and relate this to current practice.
• critique the impact of psychosocial issues that are relevant to managing patients with leg ulceration and suggest strategies to incorporate these within clinical practice.

Teaching dates:

• 9 October 2026 to14 January 2027
• 3 April to 7 August 2027

Knowledge and understanding:

• compare and contrast the different causes of pressure ulceration, their associated pathophysiology and their role within the management plan
• identify the importance of the multidisciplinary approach in the assessment and management of patients with pressure ulcers
• demonstrate application of knowledge by relating it to their own area of clinical practice
• show evidence of the ability to select and utilise appropriate literature in a structured manner
• demonstrate a wider understanding of the subject by appraising the impact of local and national guidelines and their relevance to service delivery
• communicate their level of awareness and personal responsibility in relation to their professional code of conduct

Intellectual skills:

• critically analyse the current literature and evidence for pressure ulcer management
• demonstrates an ability to formulate ideas and offer solutions to problems associated with managing patients with pressure ulceration
• displays an ability to plan and complete an individual assignment with evidence of a balanced discussion to demonstrate integration of knowledge

Discipline specific (including practical) skills:

• review the nurses role in assessment of patients with pressure ulcers and explore the evidence for undertaking a comprehensive assessment
• formulate treatment and management plans for patients with pressure ulceration
• critically analyse the use of the various risk assessment tools used and relate this to the management of patients
• identify the current pressure-relieving equipment used and demonstrate how their use is underpinned by theory
• critique the impact of psychosocial issues that are relevant to managing patients with pressure ulceration and suggest strategies to incorporate these within clinical practice

Teaching dates:

• 10 September 2026 - 14 January 2027
• 4 March - 8 July 2027

Knowledge and understanding:

• discriminate between and contrast the underlying pathologies of diabetic foot disease
• identify the importance of the multidisciplinary approach in the assessment and management of patients with diabetic foot ulcers
• demonstrate application of knowledge by relating it to their own area of clinical practice
• show evidence of the ability to select and utilise appropriate literature in a structured manner
• demonstrate a wider understanding of the subject by appraising the impact of local and national guidelines and their relevance to service delivery
• communicate their level of awareness and personal responsibility in relation to their professional code of conduct

Intellectual skills:

• critically analyse the current literature and evidence for diabetic foot ulcer management
• demonstrates an ability to formulate ideas and offer solutions to problems associated with managing patients with diabetic foot ulceration
• displays an ability to plan and complete an individual assignment with evidence of a balanced discussion
• to demonstrate integration of knowledge

Discipline specific (including practical) skills:

• review the nurses role in assessment of patients with diabetic foot ulcers and explore the evidence for undertaking a comprehensive assessment
• formulate treatment and management plans for patients with diabetic foot ulceration
• gain an understanding of the skills required to perform a comprehensive foot assessment
• identify key management principles, based on current guidelines
• critique the impact of psychosocial issues that are relevant to managing patients with diabetic foot ulceration and suggest strategies to incorporate these within clinical practice.
• identify appropriate strategies for providing health education for patients with diabetic foot disease

Teaching dates:

• 10 September 2026 - 14 January 2027
• 4 March - 8 July 2027

Students can choose from 1 of the following options

• Management of Acute Wounds: Surgical and Traumatic
• Management of Acute Wounds: Burns

Acute wounds can usually be defined as wounds that will heal within an expected time frame without complication. Although this definition may not always clarify when a wound becomes chronic, this module reviews the management of wounds caused by surgery or thermal injury that are expected to heal within weeks rather than months or years.

On successful completion of the Module a student should be able to:

• critically review a wound management issue in relation to the potential benefits or harm it may have on patient outcomes
• justify a framework for clinical care for patients with a surgically created wound using appropriate research-based treatments
• justify a framework for clinical care for patients with burns using research-based treatments
• justify a framework for patients with traumatic injury using research-based treatments
• debate contradictions in existing management of acute wounds
• discriminate between existing and new approaches to the management of an acute wound

Module teaching dates: 28 September to 7 December 2026

This module aims to increase the students’ knowledge and understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms and psychological aspects involved in wound healing. Students will examine the interplay between biological and psychological aspects to have a more in-depth understanding of the impact of wounds on different patient groups.

On successful completion of the Module, a student should be able to:

• evaluate current research related to the biological response to tissue injury and how this facilitates wound healing
• analyse in detail one phase of wound healing and relate this to the clinical presentation of an individual with a wound
• compare and contrast different in vivo and in vitro models that are used to study wound healing
• appraise existing research on the psychology of wound healing
• evaluate one area of health psychology and apply relevant theory (ies) to understand the behaviour of individuals with a wound
• assess the value of using psychological approaches to help individuals cope with a non-healing wound

Module teaching dates: 5 October to 14 December 2026

The largest percentage of money and resources is spent on treatment and management of chronic wounds. Much of this expenditure is due to inappropriate and/or reactive treatment. This module will emphasise preventative and pro-active care of chronic wounds such as pressure ulcers, leg ulcers, and diabetic foot ulcers, which will reinforce material covered in Modules ME3016 and MET060. Students have the option of studying one of the three wound types.

The module aim is to enable students to identify and critically analyse the underlying theories and concepts involved in the management and treatment of patients with chronic wounds.

On successful completion of the Module, a student should be able to:

• critically analyse and evaluate controversial issues surrounding chronic wound aetiologies or management
• redefine and evaluate the research evidence supporting the management of patients with chronic wounds
• differentiate between existing theories of chronic wound aetiologies
• discriminate between existing, proven management options and newer, less validated therapies
• autonomously synthesise current limits of knowledge into existing knowledge base

Module teaching dates: 7 December 2026 to 15 February 2027

This module will allow you to examine a range of theoretical and practical aspects of research design, data analysis and quality improvement approaches, which will provide you with the ability to apply critical thinking to the existing evidence base for wound healing and tissue repair. This module introduces research methods and their application to health provision and improvement using an evidence-based approach. Research will be distinguished from audit and service evaluation, and the potential for applying these approaches in the health care setting will be explored. The principles of ethics and considerations for research and quality improvement will also be examined. This will provide you with an in-depth understanding of the various methods available to undertake research, their advantages and disadvantages, and how to evaluate health care provision using quality improvement approaches.

On successful completion of the Module, a student should be able to:

• Identify different research methods (qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research) and apply knowledge of the different research to critically evaluate the evidence and reflect on the implications for clinical practice
• Demonstrate an understanding of statistical concepts to be able to evaluate the methodology of a range of quantitative research studies.
• Appraise the role of quality improvement approaches (clinical audit and service evaluation), that are appropriate for evaluating the impact of interventions for individuals with wounds
• Differentiate between approaches to data analysis for qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods research and quality improvement approaches.
• Value the importance of ethical principles in planning research and appraise the ethical implications for quality improvement projects
• Apply critical analysis skills to perform an in-depth critique of a research study

Module teaching dates: 4 January to 15 March 2027

This module examines the financial/legal/ethical and moral issues involved in the delivery of wound care worldwide. Cost-effectiveness is the key work in NHS management in today’s climate, but within current financial constraints, resources allocated for wound care may be scarce. Developing countries have even fewer resources from which they can organise effective care. Constraints such as these can present practitioners with ethical and moral dilemmas which may affect their professional role.

On successful completion of the Module a student should be able to:

• explore and discuss the possible complications occurring in the delivery of wound care
• evaluate the effect of treatment directives governing manufacture and application of wound treatment modalities
• critically examine the relationship between good clinical practice and the conduct of clinical trials in practice
• explore the ethical issues surrounding the conduct of clinical trials in wound healing
• review and evaluate the benefits of conducting cost-effective studies of wound management materials
• critically appraise the effect resource allocation may have within the individual's own area of practice
• evaluate the types of ‘evidence’ that influence clinical practice

Module teaching dates: 15 February to 26 April 2027

Many wounds will heal normally without delay or complication. However, the majority of chronic and many acute wounds are affected by a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. You may already be aware of the effect many disease processes, such as diabetes, uraemia and jaundice, have on an individual’s health and consequently wound healing. This module is designed to increase your knowledge of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence healing and link those to a variety of assessment and diagnostic techniques to facilitate a structured approach to the management of individuals with wounds.

Of equal importance is establishing a wound diagnosis to ensure that correct treatment and management plans are implemented. This requires a fundamental understanding of methods of clinical measurement (Clinimetrics) to select appropriate tools which are both valid and reliable. To ensure a comprehensive assessment, health care practitioners must also consider the impact of an individual’s psychological status; therefore, this module will also examine the principles and measurement of psychometrics.

On successful completion of the Module a student should be able to:

• Discuss a range of intrinsic, extrinsic, local and systemic factors which can delay wound healing
• Explain in detail the effect of one of the intrinsic, extrinsic, local and systemic factors on the normal wound healing process
• Discuss the principles of clinimetrics and/or psychometrics
• Examine in depth one clinical or psychometric measurement tool to determine its validity and reliability
• Critically analyse the advantages and disadvantages of using one of the assessment tools in predicting patients' outcomes
• Appraise Winter’s concept of moist wound healing and how this influenced the development of dressings and the management of wounds
• Integrate knowledge of assessment and diagnostic techniques and apply that to a specific patient group

Module teaching dates: 16 March to 25 May 2027