Background:Surgical wounds are of the most devastating injuries. They produce a dramatic change in the patient's life. Nurses are the key persons in directing successful rehabilitation effort to assure patients attain functional capabilities, avoid further disabilities, and prevent complications. Aim:to assess nurses' knowledge regardingopen wound care in the surgical unit, evaluate the effect of a wound care protocol on nurses' knowledge in the surgical unit, and assess patients' wound healing pre- and post-applying wound care protocol in surgical units at Mansoura University and emergency hospitals. Subject and methods: A descriptive exploratory research study were carried out. Study sample:includes two groups first group, consisted of 55nurses from the two hospitals, second group consist 53 adult patients with openwounds, Data collection was accomplished utilizing three tools; Astructured interview for the nurses, wound care observational checklist,Bates-Jensen, Data was collected from both nurses and patients three times; one time before implementing the wound care protocol, and a second time after its implementationthiredthird time after 12 weeks follow up. The result of this study revealed a statistically significant improvement in nurses' knowledge after implementing wound care protocol (P-value = 0.014 and 0.000 respectively). Additionally, wound degeneration decreased in post-protocol implementation and during follow-up. The wound regeneration significantly improved (P-value = 0.000) after implementing the wound care protocol. Conclusion: the study concluded the presence of an improvement in nurses'knowledge after implementing the wound care protocol. Also, the wound healing improved significantly. Recommendations: nurses' knowledge about surgical wound care and infection control in general needs to be updated, through in-service training programs. The hospital should have policies regarding infection control measures, to be reviewed periodically.