Community health nurses experiences with tea tree and aloe vera in wound healing

The purpose of this study was to gain experience with the use of Tea tree and Aloe Vera in wound healing. It was an action research study, involving 10 community health nurses and 12 patients with different wounds. The action part of the project was to implement an intervention: Clean the wound with 2-5 drops of Tea tree oil in 20 -50 ml water, add Aloe Vera gel to the wound, cover with appropriate dressing. The research component consisted of three focus group interviews with the responsible nurses, as well as an analysis of the wound journals/reports. The nurses experienced that the best results were obtained in superficial wounds, but also smaller pressure ulcers were healed. Further, they found it stimulating to use natural remedies and experienced that it was a simple procedure to implement. The nurses revealed a positive attitude towards alternative wound treatment, but they lack knowledge. They want to include these herbal remedies into their nursing practice.