Venous leg ulcer management 

This course explores the assessment, diagnosis and key management principles of venous leg ulceration. Through realistic clinical scenarios and practical guidance, it supports health professionals to recognise the signs of venous disease, carry out effective assessment, and understand the key principles of treatment and ongoing wound management.

  • 2 hours

    Estimated learning time

  • Case studies

    Practice-based scenarios

  • Certificate

    Awarded on completion

  • Pre & post questions

    Track your learning

Learning objectives


After studying this course you should be able to:

  • Describe the underlying aetiology and differential diagnosis of a venous ulcer 
  • Understand the principles of undertaking a clinical assessment of a person with a leg ulcer 
  • Explain the impact of ulceration on patients 
  • Explain the purpose of the hand-held Doppler and calculate the ABPI 
  • List the range of compression therapies available to patients 
  • Describe common skin changes associated with chronic venous hypertension and how to manage them 
The discussion areas within each module provide an opportunity to reflect on the content, share experiences from practice, and learn from other health professionals. Taking part in discussions can help support participatory learning as part of your CPD activity.

Course author

Irene Anderson, principal lecturer, tissue viability, University of Hertfordshire; Brenda King, nurse consultant tissue viability, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust. Both authors are executive members of the Leg Ulcer Forum.

All Nursing Times courses are written by expert nurses and double-blind peer reviewed.

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Last updated 2018
Disclaimer
Healthcare knowledge is constantly changing and we have taken reasonable care to ensure that the content included in this is accurate and up to date at the time it was created. Nursing Times courses are provided for general reference and learning purposes only: they cannot of course take account of individual circumstances and should not therefore be relied upon on their own in connection with administering medicines or providing treatment. We strongly advise users to confirm that the information provided, especially with regard to drug usage, complies with all current legislation and standards of practice. By proceeding to access this course you confirm your acceptance of, and agreement to, these terms.