Report on Progress of Professional Portfolio

G- Surgical Nursing

IDENTIFY
COMPETENCY
NUMBER, LETTER AND
SUBCATEGORY

G-6- Removal of Staples and Sutures

G-6-1 Demonstrate knowledge and ability to remove staples and sutures

as per protocols

DESCRIBE ONE

I believe that one significant learning experience that I had with

SIGNIFICANT
LEARNING
removing staples and sutures is with my lab classes. Lab practices have
EXPERIENCE IN THIS helped me to understand and demonstrate the following skills:
COURSE RELATED TO
THE CLPNA
Assess the site i.e., gaping, drainage, inflammation, signs of
COMPETENCY.
infection,
PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE

Presence of a healing line, etc.

Prepare the suture area

Swab wound as necessary

Apply steristrips as needed, or ordered

Apply appropriate dressing if needed

Count number of staples / sutures

Note clients tolerance to procedure

Document and report procedure and findings.

Pre-lab preparation is also beneficial for me to fully understand this skill

about suture and staple removal. I am a visual learner, and the best way I
can learn is by watching the Mosbys Nursing skill videos that helped
me to see the procedures that come with the skill. Also, in-lab
demonstration and proper guidance from my lab instructors helped me to
enhance this skill. Another important part of the lab experience is doing
the lab manual questionnaire. Lab questionnaires have case scenarios

related to the skill that helped me to think critically and have a better
view why this skill is important.

From my theory class and lab practices I learned that before performing
staples or suture removal I need to have a doctors order before
performing the said skill. I also learned that the clients health history
has a big impact to wound healing, diseases such as diabetes is
detrimental to proper wound healing. Furthermore, sutures are to be
removed from a wound that is strong enough to support itself, and that
DESCRIBE WHAT YOU early removal can have a better cosmetic effect. Staples and sutures are
LEARNED AND HOW IT
considered foreign bodies that if left too long in the body can cause
RELATES TO THE
exaggerated scarring and may become a focus for infection. Staple or
COMPETENCY.
EXPLAIN WHY IT WAS suture removal might seem to be an easy skill to learn, but for a student
like me it can be very challenging. Learning this skill is meaningful to
MEANINGFUL.
me because I know what nursing interventions that I need to do in order
to promote proper wound healing. I can also apply my knowledge when
I prepare my nursing care plan and I know what my focus or priority
care for the client if I do received a client that needs closure removal of
the wound.

USES THE
PROFICIENCY
CATEGORIES TO
RATE THEIR
PROFICIENCY IN THE
CHOSEN CLPNA
COMPETENCY.
EXPLAIN WHAT WAS
DONE TO ACHIEVE
THE COMPETENCY.

DESCRIBE HOW YOU

WILL APPLY THIS
LEARNING IN YOUR
CURRENT AND
FUTURE NURSING
PRACTICE

Good: understands competency in theory and in scenarios and nursing

practice
I used good to rate my proficiency in G-6 competency because I
believe that I have learned the theory and I was able to practice and
demonstrate this skill. I was able to demonstrate the procedures to my
lab instructor and I was given feedback on what part of the techniques I
need to improve. I was given opportunities in our review lab to practice,
and I was able to perform the techniques with confidence. Furthermore, I
used this rating because I am still missing clinical experience in the
health care field in order to be fully competent on this skill.

I believe that I can apply this learnt skill for future practices after I
received my license as a full pledge Practical Nurse. Wound care
management in many health care facilities is one of the many scopes of
practice that I need to perform. Full knowledge and understanding about
the proper suture and staple removal will help me assess the wound and
be able to implement the appropriate nursing intervention that will

promote proper wound healing. If there is proper wound healing from

the steps that I was able perform from proper closure removal, I believe
that I have displayed competency in this scope of practice.

Student Name: Lotus Ramos

Course: NFDN 2003- A01
Date: October 8, 2003
Instructor/Tutor: Patrick Kelly