NCWO Wound Assessment 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which wound characteristic is assessed using the PUSH tool (Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing)?
- Surface area, exudate, and tissue type (Correct answer)
- Color, odor, and temperature
- Depth, undermining, and tunneling
- Periwound skin, pain, and edema
Correct answer: Surface area, exudate, and tissue type
The PUSH tool scores a pressure injury based on surface area, exudate amount, and tissue type to track healing over time.
Question 2: A wound measuring 4 cm long and 3 cm wide has a surface area of how many square centimeters?
- 7 cm²
- 12 cm² (Correct answer)
- 14 cm²
- 3.5 cm²
Correct answer: 12 cm²
Wound surface area is calculated by multiplying length × width, so 4 × 3 = 12 cm².
Question 3: Tunneling in a wound is best described as:
- Tissue destruction beneath intact skin adjacent to the wound
- A channel extending from the wound into surrounding tissue (Correct answer)
- Full-thickness tissue loss exposing bone or tendon
- Separation of wound edges after closure
Correct answer: A channel extending from the wound into surrounding tissue
Tunneling is a narrow channel or passageway that extends from the wound bed into the surrounding tissue.
Question 4: Which tissue type in a wound bed indicates active healing and should be protected?
- Slough
- Eschar
- Granulation tissue (Correct answer)
- Fibrin
Correct answer: Granulation tissue
Granulation tissue is beefy red, moist connective tissue that signals new blood vessel formation and active wound repair.
Question 5: When documenting wound location on the body, the WOC nurse should use which reference system?
- Anatomical position with directional terms (Correct answer)
- Patient's own description of location
- Clock method only
- Wound color classification
Correct answer: Anatomical position with directional terms
Standard anatomical position with directional terms (medial, lateral, proximal, distal) ensures consistent and reproducible documentation across providers.
Question 6: Periwound maceration is caused by:
- Excessive wound dryness and desiccation
- Prolonged exposure of surrounding skin to wound moisture (Correct answer)
- Bacterial colonization of the wound edge
- Pressure from an ill-fitting dressing
Correct answer: Prolonged exposure of surrounding skin to wound moisture
Maceration occurs when the periwound skin is overhydrated from excessive wound exudate or moisture trapped under a dressing.
NCWO Wound Assessment 1
Which wound characteristic is assessed using the PUSH tool (Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing)?