Patient Outcomes

By Karen Zulkowski DNS, RN, CWS

In my last blog, I talked about cultural beliefs affecting care. But there are geographic differences in North America that do also; for example, temperature. Temperature as a concept in the Chinese culture balances hot and cold illnesses with corresponding foods. However, in macro terms outside temperature also affects care.

By Karen Zulkowski DNS, RN, CWS

All medical personnel strive to provide care based on the strongest available evidence. Yet how many of us provide culturally competent care? Culturally competent care is defined as having specific cognitive and effective skills that are essential for building culturally-relevant relationships between patients and providers.¹ We may know about local customs but in today’s global world our patients may be from a different area of the world. So how would you react if your Asian patient wanted to use non-traditional medicine or your patient of the Sikh faith refused to remove their underpants prior to surgery?

By Diana L. Gallagher MS, RN, CWOCN, CFCN

Recently, I have been intrigued by a variety of celebrities offering us a glimpse of their inner selves as they share what they wish they had known when they were young. These "Notes to a Younger Self" are fascinating to me. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we knew what we know now when we were first beginning? Would knowing have altered our decisions or the paths that we have taken? I don't know but I have to wonder.

By Karen Zulkowski DNS, RN, CWS

I have talked about treating wounds, assessing wounds and care planning, but have not discussed the patient as a person. I always talk to the patient and family about options for care, how aggressive they want to be in their treatment plan and explain to them what I am doing and why I am doing it. The importance of this communication process is one of the reasons why I got involved in the Wound App project. I realized rural facilities don’t have wound expertise available and additional testing may mean many miles of travel. The consultation plan calls for patient/family involvement. But the communication with the patient and family is important regardless of how or where you are doing wound care.

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

Spring is finally here! At least according to the calendar it is spring but the snow on the ground in many places disputes this fact. Not only does spring herald new life and warmer weather, but it also launches the ‘meeting season’ (no, not ‘mating season’-that is a topic for another site!). Actually major meetings have already begun. The NPUAP biennial meeting was held this past February. The next major meeting on the horizon is the SAWC in May in Denver followed by the WOCN in Seattle in June. In the fall we have both the Clinical Symposium for Wound Care in October and the September SAWC in Las Vegas. Along the way, there are also outstanding regional and local meetings designed to educate, enlighten and invigorate. Some of these meetings are specialty specific, while others are interdisciplinary. Both types of meetings have their benefits and limitations.

By Aletha Tippett MD

For over a decade now I have treated wounds in palliative care patients and non-palliative care patients. The “funny” thing is that there is no difference in how I treat these wounds, all are approached the same way, with similar treatments used. As I teach more and more about palliative wound care, it seems obvious to me that all wounds and all people deserve this approach. Who does not deserve less pain? Who deserves to be embarrassed by wound odor? Who deserves to have an infection? Who deserves a lesser quality of life? When asked these questions I would think the answer would be NO ONE.

By Lydia A Meyers RN, MSN, CWCN

I recently wrote a blog on my proposal to remodel home health care. I continue my musings as we consider other ways we can incorporate consumer-based business and marketing practices into the health care arena. What has become very clear to me through my recent studies and professional experience is that there is an urgent need to continue with evidence-based care and quality care. One way for this to happen is for health care facilities to become specialized and to fill the unique needs of the community at large and then market that specialty.

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

The new year has begun. Many of us have made resolutions with the best of intentions. Exercise more, lose weight, eat healthy foods, keep blood sugar in a healthy range, stop smoking and using smokeless tobacco, watch less television. The list goes on and on. I am no stranger to not keeping my New Year's resolutions beyond a month or two. The best way to keep a resolution is to make it realistic. Make your goals achievable. Don't resolve to run a marathon if you cannot walk around the block. Rather than vowing to lose 50 pounds, set a goal of 10. Once you have lost 10 pounds resolve to lose another 10 and so on.

by Lydia A Meyers RN, MSN, CWCN

At the start of December, I was looking at graduation from my Master's Degree program and the completion of my final paper. A capstone to the Master's program is much like the dissertation to the doctoral program. My journey has been long and along the way I have increased my base of knowledge. What I have learned on this journey will enhance my practical knowledge of wound care and patient care. I learned that health care must change, and we must look hard at how we are doing business and be willing to challenge the status quo. Health care needs highly knowledgeable leaders to assure patients receive quality care by being good stewards of the money given to promote that care. The provider must be educated to assure the patient's wishes are followed first and always.

By Beth Hawkins Bradley RN, MN, CWON

How often do you really consider the person that is attached to the wound you are treating? Do you take seriously those complaints, grunts, and grimaces that he sends your way when you remove drape and peel foam from a wound being treated with negative pressure? It isn’t pretty, but it is pretty important. I would love to hear what you think after you read and consider the content.