Gather materials needed to perform wet to dry dressing change. The nurse will need paper tape, saline, sterile gloves, clean gloves and 4-by-4 gauze. Perform hand hygiene and donn clean gloves.
Explain the procedure to the patient. Remove old dressing. Donn sterile gloves. Clean the wound using saline and 4-by-4 gauze. With a dry 4-by-4 gauze, pat the wound until dry carefully. Inspect the wound documenting the odor, color, drainage, consistency and note any signs of infections. Place the moist 4-by-4 gauze on the patient’s wound followed by a dry dressing. Secure the dressing with paper tape.
Make sure the procedure is documented and how the patient tolerated.
