By reading the article, you can learn all about the key principles of subjects that are vital to your role as a community nurse. Once you have read the article, visit www.jcn.co.uk/learning-zone/ to evaluate your knowledge on this topic by answering the 10 questions in the e-learning unit; all answers can be found in the article. If you answer the questions correctly, you can download your certificate, which can be used in your continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio as evidence of your continued learning.

Slough is defined as devitalised tissue made up mainly of fibrin, white blood cells and debris that collects in the wound bed (Brown, 2013). It can indicate the presence of infection, ischaemia or a dehydrated wound bed (Atkin, 2014).