A significant number of patients with chronic venous insufficiency, venous hypertension, and venous ulceration are cared for by WOC nurses and other health care practitioners in the hospital, at home, or in an office setting. Although chronic and complicated in nature, all 3 of these disease processes may be successfully treated with gradient compression therapy. Many practitioners, however, are unaware that compression is the treatment of choice for venous ulceration, venous insufficiency, and venous hypertension. Instead, they rely primarily or exclusively on topical treatments to promote ulcer healing, and frequently become frustrated when such treatments fail or when ulceration recurs. The purpose of this article is to present an evidence-based rationale for the use of gradient compression therapy as the mainstay of venous ulcer treatment.