Wound healing and critical illness.

Critically ill patients with acute wounds provide a multitude of challenges for the critical care nurse. Assessment of the patient's wound and associated-disease risk factors must be an ongoing process involving the evaluation of the treatment modalities and the stage of wound healing. Nightingale stated that the nurse's role "is to put the patient in the best condition for nature to act upon." The critical care nurse plays a pivotal role in establishing and maintaining the best condition or environment that will maximize the body's process of wound healing and expedite the patient's return to a state of wellness.