Knowledge transfer in wound care among nurses: an integrative literature review

Introduction: Wound care represents a public health issue and is an important concern for nursing care. Context: Despite the availability of best practice recommendations and clinical practice guidelines, there is a lack of use of this evidence in clinical practice. Objectives: The aim of this integrative review is to identify the barriers to nurses' optimal knowledge transfer in wound care. Method: An integrative literature review based on Whittemore and Knalf's (2005) methodology was conducted; six databases were searched. Results: Of the 82 articles that were retrieved, 13 were retained for analysis. They were all published in English. The literature highlights a theory-practice gap in wound care. Barriers related to knowledge, attitudes, and environmental factors contribute to this gap. Discussion: Nursing could benefit from interventions to improve its role in wound care. The perspectives of new graduate nurses as well as nurses working in rural healthcare settings were limited. Conclusion: A strategic plan, adapted to the situation of each healthcare facility, could improve the quality of wound care practice.