Nursing students on placement in general ward settings may never encounter compression therapy – a treatment that involves applying pressure to the lower limbs using bandages, stockings, hosiery or wraps to manage and heal venous leg ulcers. A tissue viability clinical nurse specialist explains that learning how to do it through simulation, case-based learning and supervised practice would help to embed foundational knowledge early in nursing students’ training, demystify the technique and encourage students to see wound care as integral to delivering person-centred care.