Professional Development

Jobs in the field of medicine are notoriously demanding. However, many factors are converging to exacerbate this problem, and clinician burnout poses a large threat to the health care system in the United States. Unfortunately, this problem does not impact a single segment of specialists but is systemic at many health care facilities.

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

My approach to wound care education with patients, providers, and nursing staff the last 20+ years has always been to make learning fun while emphasizing that wounds are a serious topic. My strong passion drives me to motivate anyone and everyone who wants to learn. If they don’t want to learn, then I’ll figure out the best way to motivate them! Everyone learns differently; however, hands-on training with added fun usually wins. Education should be ongoing and engaging, and it should create fun ways to experience more of those “aha” moments. We want to impact that long-term memory storage! Every care setting has variances, but my blog will provide you with some ideas that you can alter to fit your needs.

By Holly Hovan MSN, RN-BC, APRN, ACNS-BC, CWOCN-AP

Education is key in sustained positive outcomes and it is the first step in understanding pressure injury prevention, for both patients and staff. It's very difficult to hold people accountable for something that they did not know. Therefore, prevention starts with education. For education to be impactful, it should also be fun. Interactive games, small prizes or candy, and engaged and energetic educators are key to fostering an environment where people will remember what they are taught. The teach-back method and continued follow-up and reinforcement are also essential elements of a successful education plan.

By Kara S. Couch, MS, CRNP, CWCN-AP

Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) pose a challenge for acute and post-acute care environments and are listed as hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Other HACs include central line–associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). Although CLABSIs and CAUTIs have seen a decrease in prevalence over the past decade, the HAPU is the only HAC that has not. In my recent WoundSource webinar, I discussed the topic of building a pressure ulcer prevention program within hospitals. The webinar is still available for viewing on WoundSource.com.

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 the WoundSource Editors

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest health threats of the 21st century. The current number of deaths attributed to drug-resistant infections is 700,000, yet this figure is expected to grow more than 10-fold by 2050. Although the rapid administration of antibiotics to treat infections often reduces morbidity and saves the lives of many patients each year, it has also been shown that up to 40% of all antibiotics prescribed are either unnecessary or inappropriate, which contributes to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.

By Cynthia Sylvia, D NURS, MSc, MA, RN, CWCN

In this first installment of my new WoundSource video blog series, I will be sharing my doctoral research on exploring the identity of the certified wound ostomy continence nurse in industry. The video and full transcript are available below, as well as a link to my poster on the same topic that was presented recently at the WOCNext conference.

By Holly M. Hovan, MSN, RN-BC, APRN-CNS, CWOCN-AP

As wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nurses, and nurses in general, we are often so busy taking care of others that sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves. A wise instructor in nursing school once told me, "If you don't take care of yourself first, you won't be able to take care of anyone else." I am often reminded of this when I travel and the flight attendant says "Please secure your own mask first!" Hearing that simple reminder will always and forever remind me to take care of myself first to best take care of others.

By Holly M. Hovan, MSN, RN-BC, APRN, CWOCN-AP

As someone who holds tricertification, I often feel as though my ostomy patients are the ones in whose lives I am making the biggest difference. Watching them progress, gain confidence in independent ostomy management, and enjoy their lives once again is one of the best feelings to me!

Article Title: Graduating Student Nurses' and Student Podiatrists' Wound Care Competence: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Kielo E, Salminen L, Suhonen R, Puukka P, Stolt M
Journal: J Wound Care. 2019;28(3):136-145
Reviewed by: Stephanie Golding, class of 2020, Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine