A nurse is teaching a class about the epidermis. Which of the following information should the nurse include?

Choice A rationale: this is a type of non-adherent dressing that can be used for wounds with minimal exudates hence this is not suitable for wounds with significant exudate since it causes maceration and leakage.
Choice B rationale: this is an absorbent dressing that can be used in wounds with moderate-significant exudate since it moistens the wound environment while facilitating autolytic debridement by forming a gel in contact with the exudate.
Choice C rationale: this is a type of hydrating dressing containing water or glycerin-based gel that is suitable for use in wounds with minimal exudate.
Choice D rationale: this is a type of occlusive dressing suitable for wounds with minimal-moderate exudates. It is unsuitable for wounds with significant exudate since it can result in maceration and leakage.

A. Swabbing the wound bed is necessary to obtain the culture specimen, but it must not be done until after the wound and surrounding area have been cleansed. Swabbing an uncleaned wound will collect superficial skin flora and debris rather than the true pathogens causing the infection.

B. According to evidence-based practice and nursing guidelines for wound care, the nurse must first cleanse the wound and surrounding area with sterile saline (or an approved non-antiseptic cleanser) to remove exudate, topical medications, and normal skin flora. This ensures that the culture specimen reflects the actual microorganisms responsible for the internal wound infection, making it the highest priority first step.

C. Donning sterile gloves is an appropriate action to maintain surgical asepsis during a sterile dressing change or wound culture procedure, but it is not the first action. The nurse typically wears clean gloves to remove the old dressing and cleanse the wound before transitioning to sterile gloves, or performs hand hygiene before preparing the sterile culture kit.

D. Placing the collection tube into a biohazard specimen bag is a necessary final step performed after the specimen has been successfully collected, labeled, and sealed to ensure safe transport to the laboratory, so it cannot be the first action taken.