Acute care nurses' experience in providing evidence-based care for patients with laparotomy wounds: a scoping review protocol

Background Healthcare organisations provide policies and guidelines to direct the nursing staff's decision-making surrounding care in patients with surgical wounds to reflect the best current evidence. Nonetheless, nurses face multiple challenges in providing evidence-based care (EBC), leading to inconsistent surgical wound care. In addition, the reduction of the use of laparotomy procedures in elective practice has led to a potential decrease in competence and experience in its treatment regime, particularly related to wound management.Study objective This is a protocol for a scoping review that will systematically search and synthesise available data on barriers and enablers to EBC for patients with laparotomy wounds reported by nurses in acute care settings. We will focus on the reported barriers and enablers related to wound assessment, wound products, dressing application, infection control techniques, documentation, holistic care and escalation of care.Methods and analysis The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist and explanation documents will guide the review protocol. The methodology framework formulated by Arksey and O'Malley1, revised by Levac et al2 and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI)3, will be utilised to structure the scoping review. Qualitative themes will be aligned with the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF)4.