Practice Management

By Lydia Corum RN MSN CWCN

How many wound care coordinators have walked into a patient's room to check on a wound before the patient is discharged only to find that the same dressing originally ordered for the wound is still in place, or there is even no dressing at all? The patient and the family members are wondering what is happening, and the wound care coordinator needs to explain. This happens to wound care nurse coordinators, wound care nurses, and clinical managers all the time. The common problem for those nurses who love wound care is that many others do not share that love. In this blog, I'll be taking a look at nursing leadership and how this can help bring nurses together to form a wound care team.

By Thomas E. Serena MD, FACS, FACHM, FAPWCA

A recent article by Kaiser Health News misquoted me as saying that we enroll only "healthy" patients in our clinical trials. At moments like this, one feels that something has been overlooked. One of my research coordinators, recalling the serious adverse events (SAEs) of the previous week said, "The only patients sicker than ours are underground."

By Thomas E. Serena, MD, FACS, FACHM, FAPWCA

The ancients sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of Sirius, believing that the star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather. Why a brown dog? I wonder. I think it more appropriate to register a complaint with the concierge that the air conditioner in my room is acting strange and performing poorly. But the dog days of Summer 2016 are upon us with a menacing bark and a harsh bite. I am lethargic. I am uncomfortable. I wondered whether to blog or not.

By Thomas E. Serena MD, FACS, FACHM, FAPWCA

This blog comes to you written from the deck of the Independence of the Seas on the 2016 Wound Cruise. The conference on the ocean draws the best speakers in the world for obvious reasons. But like many educational events, some of the best discussions occur outside the conference area. A cold beer in my hand I posed the question to my sandal-donned colleagues: Should we allow industry representatives in the wound clinic?

By Paula Erwin-Toth MSN, RN, CWOCN, CNS, FAAN

My last blog discussed the need to be high touch in a high-tech environment. This generated a lot of discussion among readers. Everyone agreed 'high touch' is important, but wondered what can we do to actually create that environment in all clinical settings?

By Cheryl Carver, LPN, WCC, CWCA, FACCWS, DAPWCA, CLTC

In my role as a consultant and educator, I thought it would be interesting to acquire a handful of perspectives from wound care providers who work in the long-term care arena, and explore their responses.

By Robert Striks, Special Writer, Encompass HealthCare & Wound Medicine

I know, I know. You can get more bees with honey than vinegar. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it. If you want to be happy, give up your need to be right.

By Margaret Heale, RN, MSc, CWOCN

People can be open with few secrets and little to hide but even then there are behaviors, memories, hopes, fears and desires that are not revealed. We have a right to be in control of this part of ourselves and the flesh that encompasses it. Such control is part of the freedom we covet as a nation.

By Cheryl Carver, LPN, WCC, CWCA, FACCWS, DAPWCA, CLTC

As a traveling wound care educator for physicians, I am observing many changes within the state survey process for long-term care. Wound care physicians working in long-term care are feeling the same anxiety that facility leaders and staff members are, as the time nears the window for an annual state survey.

By Cheryl Carver, LPN, WCC, CWCA, FACCWS, DAPWCA, CLTC

Deciding on a blog topic for this month was simple. August 12th marked 18 years since my 47-year-old mother passed away due to pressure ulcer complications. A flood of memories came rushing through, realizing just how much wound care has evolved throughout the years. A feeling of "if I only knew then, what I know now" type emotions. I cannot help but have a great deal of heartfelt empathy for caregivers and their loved ones with chronic wounds. My personal experiences have led me to my sense of gratification in what I do every day.