Development and psychometric property testing of a skin tear knowledge assessment instrument (OASES) in 37 countries.

AIM: To develop and psychometrically evaluate a skin tear knowledge assessment instrument (OASES). DESIGN: Prospective psychometric instrument validation study. METHOD: The skin tear knowledge assessment instrument was developed based on a literature review and expert input (N = 19). Face and content validity were assessed in a two-round Delphi procedure by 10 international experts affiliated with the International Skin Tear Advisory Panel (ISTAP). The instrument was psychometrically tested in a convenience sample of 387 nurses in 37 countries (April-May 2020). Validity of the multiple-choice test items (item difficulty, discriminating index, quality of the response alternatives), construct validity, and test-retest reliability (stability) were analysed and evaluated in light of international reference standards. RESULTS: A 20-item instrument, covering six knowledge domains most relevant to skin tears, was designed. Content validity was established (CVI = 0.90-1.00). Item difficulty varied between 0.24 and 0.94 and the quality of the response alternatives between 0.01-0.52. The discriminating index was acceptable (0.19-0.77). Participants with a theoretically expected higher knowledge level had a significantly higher total score than participants with theoretically expected lower knowledge (p < .001). The 1-week test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.83 (95% CI = 0.78-0.86) for the full instrument and varied between 0.72 (95% CI = 0.64-0.79) and 0.85 (95% CI = 0.81-0.89) for the domains. Cohen's Kappa coefficients of the individual items ranged between 0.21 and 0.74. CONCLUSION: The skin tear knowledge assessment instrument is supported by acceptable psychometric properties and can be applied in nursing education, research, and practice to assess knowledge of healthcare professionals about skin tears. IMPACT: Prevention and treatment of skin tears are a challenge for healthcare professionals. The provision of adequate care is based on profound and up-to-date knowledge. None of the existing instruments to assess skin tear knowledge is psychometrically tested, nor up-to-date. OASES can be used worldwide to identify education, practice, and research needs and priorities related to skin tears in clinical practice.

The Art of Dressing Selection: A Consensus Statement on Skin Tears and Best Practice.

PURPOSE: To provide information about product selection for the management of skin tears. TARGET AUDIENCE: This continuing education activity is intended for physicians and nurses with an interest in skin and wound care. OBJECTIVES: After participating in this educational activity, the participant should be better able to:1. Explain skin tear (ST) risk factors and assessment guidelines.2. Identify best practice treatments for STs, including the appropriate dressings for each ST type. ABSTRACT: To aid healthcare professionals in product selection specific for skin tears, the International Skin Tear Advisory Panel conducted a systematic literature review and 3-phase Delphi consensus with a panel of international reviewers to provide the best available evidence for product selection related to the treatment of skin tears.

International Skin Tear Advisory Panel: a tool kit to aid in the prevention, assessment, and treatment of skin tears using a Simplified Classification System ©.

PURPOSE: To enhance the learner's competence with knowledge regarding utilization of a tool kit to aid in the prevention, assessment, and treatment of skin tears. TARGET AUDIENCE: This continuing education activity is intended for physicians and nurses with an interest in skin and wound care. OBJECTIVES: After participating in this educational activity, the participant should be better able to:1. Demonstrate knowledge of skin tear prevention and classification as presented in the International Skin Tear Advisory Panel's tool kit.2. Apply information from the skin tear tool kit to patient care scenarios. ABSTRACT: The International Skin Tear Advisory Panel has created a tool kit for the prevention, identification, and treatment of skin tears. The tool kit is based on extensive literature reviews, international input from healthcare professionals, and on expert opinion. It has undergone a modified Delphi process.

A nursing journal club thrives through shared governance.

Promoting professional growth within the practice of nursing is a challenge for nurses in staff development. When that growth includes reading research articles and discussing implications for practice, it is even more difficult to spark interest among frontline clinicians. Most nurses struggle to understand research studies and find reading and critiquing the content intimidating. This article shares the success of a nursing research journal club that was launched through a community hospital's shared governance model. The article will encourage nurses in staff development to implement a journal club that is meaningful to the bedside nurse in all practice areas.

CE: Preventing, Assessing, and Managing Skin Tears: A Clinical Review.

: Although skin tears are common, particularly among older adults and neonates, they are often inadequately documented and poorly managed, resulting in complications, extended hospital stays, and negative patient outcomes. In this article, the first in a series on wound care in collaboration with the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists (www.wcetn.org), the authors describe the complications that developed in an elderly patient whose skin tear was improperly dressed and discuss best practices for preventing, assessing, documenting, and managing skin tears.