A wound management education and training needs analysis of health consumers and the relevant health workforce and stocktake of available education and training activities and resources

The goals of the first phase of a broader wound management education and training project were to determine the education and training needs of health consumers and the relevant health workforce and to identify and map the available education and training activities and resources. The methods used to collect the data included online surveys and one-on-one interviews of relevant patients and their carers. The project manager actively sought to engage with the key wound management leaders and advanced clinicians to gain their support and views on the priority education and training issues. The response to all data collection methods was pleasing, with over 500 responses to the general wound workforce online survey. The data supported the need for more wound management education and training and identified some particular topics of need, such as utilising wound investigations and understanding wound products, pharmaceuticals and devices. The occupational groups with the highest need appear to be those working in primary health care, such as practice nurses and general practitioners (GPs), and those working in residential aged care facilities. The education and training stocktake identified a wide range of activities currently available, the majority being provided in a face-to-face format. The next stage of the project will be to form some clear and achievable priority action areas based on the available data. An online directory of wound management education and training activities and resources will be developed and further development will be undertaken on a knowledge and skills framework for the wound management workforce. Additionally, transfer of learning factors in the general practice environment will be assessed and strategies will be developed to improve the pre-entry or undergraduate wound management training within relevant higher education programs.