WOUND PAIN ASSESSMENT AND NEGATIVE PRESSURE WOUND THERAPY COMPETENCY GAP IN ITALIAN COMMUNITY NURSES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL MIXED-METHODS STUDY

G. Fedelfranco¹, M. Martucci² | ¹Social Health Local District of Bari, Unified Access Point (PUA) / Multidimensional Assessment Unit (UVM), Bari; University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy; ²Director Health Profession, Social Health Local District of Bari; University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy

Abstract

Background and Aims. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) requires pain monitoring as a critical management dimension, yet Italian nurses show low NPWT-specific self-knowledge (Krówczynska et al., IJERPH 2023; PMID 36834085; N = 401) and significant geographic training disparities—33.3% of Southern Italian nurses received zero wound care training (Ielapi et al., Nurs Rep 2022; PMID 35893640). No Italian study has specifically measured wound pain assessment practices alongside NPWT competency. This study characterizes wound pain assessment practices and NPWT-related pain monitoring competency in Italian community nurses.
Methods. Cross-sectional mixed-methods study. Phase 1: Online survey of community nurses (N=41 completed, target N=120; ASL Bari coordination and FNOPI network) using the adapted NPWT Perception Questionnaire (Krówczynska 2023) supplemented with pain-specific items (NRS applicability, procedural pain protocols, and analgesic documentation). Phase 2: three focus groups of N=6 nurse managers each (N=18 total; first group completed; thematic analysis in progress). IRB approval: ASL Bari.
Results. Preliminary survey (N=41): 73.2% report no standardized wound pain protocol; 61.0% never used a validated pain scale in wound care; 87.8% received no pain management content in NPWT CPD. First focus group (N=6): wound dressing pain underdocumented as a recurring pattern due to time constraints and absent institutional protocols.
Conclusions. Wound pain assessment is a critical competency gap in Italian community NPWT nursing. A structured pain monitoring protocol integrated within NPWT governance frameworks is the evidence-based response to this gap and to Law 38/2010 obligations.