Why you should read this article:

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To recognise the holistic factors that need to be considered when assessing and managing wounds

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To enhance your awareness of the available tools that can be used to structure a wound assessment

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To acknowledge the importance of shared decision-making in developing wound care regimens

The assessment and management of impaired skin integrity as part of wound care is a common nursing task. Specific wound assessment tools may assist nurses to structure an assessment, but wider holistic factors also need to be considered. The TIMERS (tissue, inflammation and infection, moisture balance, edge, repair and regeneration, and social factors) tool offers a flexible approach to assessing wounds holistically and can be applied in all wound aetiologies.

This article provides nurses with an overview of the assessment and management of impaired skin integrity using the TIMERS tool. It also discusses the importance of shared decision-making between nurses and patients when formulating a wound care regimen.