Roles and professional boundaries of ward-based registered nurses without specialist wound care credentials in orthopedic surgical wound management: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: The increasing volume and complexity of orthopedic surgery have expanded the involvement of ward-based registered nurses in postoperative wound care. Although registered nurses receive foundational wound care education as part of their professional preparation, those without specialist wound care credentials may encounter challenges when managing complex orthopedic surgical wounds. Their experiences, role boundaries, and perceived support needs remain insufficiently explored. This study aimed to explore ward-based registered nurses' perceptions of their roles and professional boundaries in orthopedic surgical wound management and to identify perceived strategies for supporting their practice. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted in an orthopedic ward of a tertiary hospital in China. Fourteen ward-based registered nurses were purposively recruited and participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: Four themes were identified: negotiating professional boundaries within clinical hierarchies, evolving role identity in orthopedic surgical wound care, developing professional capacity for safe and responsive wound management, and sustaining practice development through continuing education and organizational support. Participants described surgical wound care as an expanding but ambiguously defined area of nursing practice. Their accounts highlighted a mismatch between foundational wound care education and the demands of complex orthopedic surgical wounds, variability in physicians' treatment preferences and local ward routines, limited decision-making authority, and inconsistent interprofessional collaboration. Participants also emphasized the importance of timely nursing involvement, clinically relevant continuing education, standardized protocols, and clearer escalation pathways for supporting safe and coordinated wound care. CONCLUSIONS: Ward-based registered nurses without specialist wound care credentials make important contributions to orthopedic surgical wound management through ongoing assessment, timely dressing care, patient education, and communication with physicians and wound care specialists. However, their expanding role is shaped by unclear professional boundaries, variable local practices, limited authority in wound-related decision-making, and uneven access to continuing education. Clearer role delineation, standardized protocols, structured continuing education, and collaborative escalation pathways are needed to support safe and consistent wound care.