Skin wounds are sometimes challenging for health care providers to diagnose and treat as many have similar presentations. For advanced practice nurses, being able to identify various types of skin wounds, including whether a wound is a colonization or an infection, is critical because it impacts recommended patient care. In your role, you must be able to evaluate skin wounds, determine the diagnosis, and develop an appropriate treatment and management plan according to current evidence-based guidelines.

To prepare:

• Review Chapter 47 of the Resnick text, as well as the Burr article in this week’s Learning Resources.
• Consider how to properly diagnose skin wounds in frail elders, including how to distinguish between a colonization and infection.
• Select a type of skin wound, such as bumps, bruises, shingles, herpes, bullous pemphigoid, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, etc. Research the guidelines for treatment of the skin wound you selected. Reflect on how you would treat and/or dress this wound.
• Think about factors that might contribute to the development of the skin wound you selected. Consider strategies for the prevention and improvement of this type of wound.

To complete:

Write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:

• Explain how to properly diagnose skin wounds in frail elders, including how to distinguish between a colonization and infection.
• Describe the type of skin wound you selected.
• Explain how you would treat and/or dress this wound based on guidelines for treatment.
• Explain factors that might contribute to the development of the skin wound you selected. Include strategies for the prevention and improvement of this type of wound.

Florida National University 

Professor Elsa Gonzalez

Final Research Paper (Summary-Literature Review) Guidelines 

Final Paper Format:

1. Double-spaced throughout

2. All margins are to be 1 inch 

2. 12 point Font (no larger or smaller)

3. Typeface produced on a word processor “Times New Roman”.

The Final Paper must include:

1. A Title Page

2. Abstract Page

3. Body of the paper: must be a minimum of 5 pages 

and a maximum of 7 pages

4. Conclusion 

5. References page

6. In text citations for all work referred to in paper

Title Page instructions: 

Header (top right hand corner of paper – use header function on computer)

Running Head – (top left hand upper side of paper)

Title – centered on page

Student Name – centered on page

Florida National University – centered on page

Abstract instructions:

The Abstract is a summary of your paper. It must include the Hypothesis, any relevant research found, and the conclusion you have made based on this research. The abstract is to be formatted in block format (not an indented paragraph) and must include 7 – 9 complete sentences.

Please refer to pages 306 – 307 and 313 in the APA manual for a good example of an APA style paper.