SELF/Perioperative Nursing/Surgical Wound Dressing/Psychomotor Skills Practice Assessment
Surgical Wound Dressing – Assessment Rubric – Perioperative Nursing (ECSACONM)
[edit | edit source]Overview
[edit | edit source]This page provides a psychomotor assessment rubric for surgical wound dressing, developed for perioperative nursing training under ECSACONM (East, Central and Southern Africa College of Nursing). It is the assessment companion to the Surgical Wound Dressing psychomotor skills practice worksheet, used to score learner performance across the sequential steps of preparing the work area, establishing a sterile field, assessing the wound, and cleaning, applying, and securing the dressing using aseptic non-touch technique.
Each step is scored on a five-point scale. Articulated (spoken, non-observed) steps are marked as either "Not done" or "Done." Observed steps are anchored at three levels: 1 – Clinically Unacceptable, 3 – Clinically Acceptable, and 5 – Excellent, with levels 2 and 4 available for intermediate performance. A Comments column is provided for assessor notes.
Purpose
[edit | edit source]To provide a consistent, criterion-referenced tool for assessing a learner's ability to perform a postoperative surgical wound dressing safely, ensuring aseptic non-touch technique, correct two-forceps wound cleansing, complete dressing coverage, and appropriate recognition of concerning wound findings.
Psychomotor Assessment Rubric
[edit | edit source]| # | Step Name | Assessment Method | 1 – Clinically Unacceptable / Not Performed | 2 | 3 – Clinically Acceptable / Performed | 4 | 5 – Excellent | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gather Supplies | Articulated | Not done | Done | ||||
| 2 | Perform Hand Hygiene and don clean gloves | Articulated | Not done | Done | ||||
| 3 | Consent and prepare patient | Articulated | Not done | Done | ||||
| 4 | Prepare Clean work area | Observed | Work area poorly organized; fails to separate clean, sterile, and contaminated areas; increases contamination risk. | Prepares an organized work area with appropriate placement of equipment and maintains a clean environment with only minor inefficiencies. | Efficiently organizes the work area with excellent separation of clean, sterile, and contaminated zones, promoting smooth workflow and aseptic technique throughout the procedure. | |||
| 5 | Set Up Sterile Field and Equipment | Observed | Contaminates the sterile field or sterile supplies; opens packages incorrectly; fails to establish a functional sterile field. | Establishes an appropriate sterile field with only minor breaks in efficiency that do not compromise sterility. | Establishes and maintains a well-organized sterile field using excellent aseptic technique and efficient arrangement of all equipment. | |||
| 6 | Wound Assessment | Observed | Fails to inspect the wound systematically or overlooks significant wound findings before cleaning. | Performs an appropriate wound assessment and correctly identifies the important postoperative wound characteristics. | Performs a thorough, systematic wound assessment with excellent recognition and interpretation of postoperative wound findings before proceeding. | |||
| 7 | Cleaning the Wound | Observed | Contaminates the clean forceps, loses separation between clean and dirty forceps, reuses swabs, or cleans in the wrong direction. | Maintains separation between clean and dirty forceps, cleans from the cleanest area toward the less clean area, and uses appropriate wound cleaning technique with only minor inefficiencies. | Demonstrates smooth, efficient two-forceps non-touch technique with continuous aseptic control, excellent hand coordination, and precise wound cleaning throughout the procedure. | |||
| 8 | Apply the sterile dressing | Observed | Contaminates the dressing, applies it incorrectly, or leaves part of the incision uncovered. | Applies the sterile dressing appropriately with complete wound coverage and only minor handling or positioning imperfections. | Applies the dressing confidently using excellent aseptic technique, achieving precise positioning, complete wound coverage, and optimal dressing placement. | |||
| 9 | Secure Dressing | Observed | Dressing is loose, uneven, excessively tight, or inadequately secured, resulting in poor wound protection. | Dressing is secured appropriately with complete wound coverage and adequate stability. | Dressing is evenly secured with excellent alignment, stability, complete edge adherence, and appropriate tension without compromising patient comfort. |
References
[edit | edit source]
| Authors | Ian-laurel |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Organizations | SELF, ECSACONM |
| Cite as | Ian-laurel-1 (2026). "SELF/Perioperative Nursing/Surgical Wound Dressing/Psychomotor Skills Practice Assessment". Appropedia. Retrieved July 30, 2026. |