In It For You- Fall 2014

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE WOCN速 SOCIETY

ISSUE 4, FALL 2014

Connecting WOC Nursing Around the World Page 16

Working Together to Reduce Pressure Ulcers Page 20

Advancing Compression Therapy Options Page 30

Writing a Winning Proposal Page 36

www.wocn.org

I S S U E 4 • FA L L 2 0 1 4

TA B L E O F CONTENTS THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE WOCN® SOCIETY

FEATURES

IN EVERY ISSUE

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TH E IMP O RTAN C E OF U PD AT I N G Y O U R M E MBE R C EN TE R P RO FI LE

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President’s Letter

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Region & Affiliate News

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Stand Up and Take a Bow

QU IC K AN S W E RS AN YTI M E , AN Y W H E R E

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C OL L AB O RAT I V E P R OG R A M RED U C E S P RE S S UR E UL CE R RATES

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L OOK I N G AH E AD : T HE EVOLVI N G RO LE OF T HE WOC N U RS E I N H O M E HE A LT H CA R E

Perspectives from Around the World

Public Policy: The Role of the WOC Nurse in Advancing Compression Therapy Options to the Next Level

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Congratulations! WOCN Society Foundation Awards Scholarships

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Corporate Member Updates

mission The WOCN Society is a professional nursing society which supports its members by promoting educational, clinical and research opportunities to advance the practice and guide the delivery of expert health care to individuals with wounds, ostomies and incontinence.

Executive Vice President Nicolette Zuecca, MPA, CAE nzuecca@wocn.org In It For You is a publication of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®) 888-224-WOCN www.wocn.org www.wocn.org/foundation Publication Date: Fall 2014

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F R OM N O VI C E T O IN VES T I GAT O R

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WOCN SOCIETY BOARD AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS BOARD Phyllis Kupsick, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, CWOCN President 2013-2015 Albemarle, NC phylliskupsick@gmail.com Carolyn Watts, MSN, RN, CWON, CBPN-IC President-Elect 2013-2015 Nashville, TN carolyn.watts@vanderbilt.edu Dea Kent, MSN, RN, NP-C, CWOCN Secretary 2014-2016 Sharpsville, IN deajkent@aol.com Sandy Hughes, BSN, RN, CWOCN Treasurer 2014-2016 Needham, MA shughes787@hotmail.com

Shawneen Schmitt, MSN, MS, RN, CWOCN, CFCN, FACCWS Director-at-Large Area #2 2014-2016 Waukesha, WI smsmsnrn@gmail.com

Development Committee Laurie L. McNichol, MSN, RN, GNP, CWOCN Greensboro, NC mcnichol@triad.rr.com Education Committee Jill Cox, PhD, RN, APN-C, CWOCN River Vale, NJ glcgrc@yahoo.com

The State of the Society

Mary Arnold Long, MSN, RN, CRRN, CWOCN-AP, ACNS-BC Director-at-Large Area #4 2014-2016 Charleston, SC skinhorse2011@hotmail.com

PHYLLIS KUPSICK, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, CWOCN

C O M M IT T EE CHA IR S

Audit Committee Sandy Hughes, BSN, RN, CWOCN Needham, MA shughes787@hotmail.com

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Dianne L. Feeser, MS, RN, GCNS-BC, CWOCN Director-at-Large Area #3 2013-2015 Troy, PA John_dianne@frontier.com

Barbara List, BSN, RN, CWOCN Director-at-Large Area #1 2013-2015 Albuquerque, NM blist@phs.org

Accreditation Committee Jody Scardillo, DNP, RN, ANP-BC, CWOCN Slingerlands, NY s4392521@capital.net

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National Conference Planning Committee Joy Pittman, PhD, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, CWOCN Noblesville, IN joyce.pittman@comcast.net

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he Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®) is constantly working to support its members by promoting educational, clinical and research opportunities to advance the practice and guide the delivery of expert health care to individuals with wounds, ostomies and incontinence.

I would like to take this opportunity to share with all of you an update from what the Society has been working on and what we are doing for you.

National Public Policy Committee Rosemary Kates, MSN, APN, CWOCN Cherry Hill, NJ rosemakat@comcast.net Nominating Committee Benjamin Peirce, BA, RN, CWOCN Plantation, FL benpeirce@att.net Wound Treatment Associate Committee Dorothy Doughty, MN, RN, CWOCN, CFCN, FAAN Stone Mountain, GA ddought@emory.edu

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

I know that you have had the privilege of seeing our Mission and Vision statements numerous times. However, it bears stressing as we go into the discussion of what the WOCN Society has undertaken on your behalf this year. These are guiding principles for the organization and are the basis for all decisions made by the Board. Please feel free to contact any of us if you have questions or concerns.

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

We are currently in the first year of our three-year strategic plan, which encompasses four strategic pillars, each having specific strategic initiatives: education, public policy and advocacy, research and member engagement. Each initiative is undertaken to promote you, the WOC nurse, and the practice as a unique specialty.

ENGAGEMENT AND AWARENESS

This year, we have increased resources to market the educational pathway, certification and the value of the WOC nurse. I would like to share some of those initiatives with you and the outcome of our efforts.

Media coverage that we have gotten over the past year for some of our broader stroke efforts have led to success in top-tier publications, such as USA Today, the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. Our more targeted messages have generated attention in more specialized publications such as The American Nurse, McKnight’s Long Term Care and Advance for Nurses.

A special USA Today insert in November 2013, “Careers in Healthcare,” featured the WOCN Society in two ways. The first, a Q&A article related to specialty nursing, “Finding Your Edge,” allowed the WOCN Society to answer questions about how we have impacted the lives of our patients, what makes us different from other nurses and why our profession should be chosen when nurses consider specializing. We also had an advertisement titled “Do You Want to Be a Clinical Expert?” These inserts were included in 450,000 print copies of USA Today in several key markets with the potential to reach 1.4 million readers!

We have appeared in over 1,500 articles that yielded more than 103 million impressions, which measures the number of people who have had contact with our information.

One question we are often asked by members is “how are you helping me, as a WOC nurse, to promote myself in my workplace?”

Our team has focused heavily this year on demonstrating the value of the WOC nurse to employers and administrators. We sent out 8,800 packets of information to members of the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE). The packet included a letter explaining the benefits of employing WOC nurses, an infographic that outlines the pathways to become a WOC nurse and two Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing (JWOCN) articles discussing the results of the patient outcome study in home health agencies. Although our outcomes study was home health based (due to data from OASIS being more easily retrieved), the outcomes can be extrapolated to all settings.

In addition, the I Deserve a WOC Nurse campaign was initiated earlier this year to educate patients and patient advocates about the services provided by WOC nurses and why our involvement can be crucial in their healing process. This is an evolving project, so stay tuned for more as it becomes available.

Finally, we communicate to key stakeholders through multiple channels employing social and print media.

The 2014 WOC Nurse Week materials communicated

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the employment of WOC nurses in all settings and the diversity of their roles as educators, consultants, researchers and administrators for and of quality patient care. The Empowerment section on our website is a resource for helping you get the most out of your WOC nurse practice. If you haven’t visited the WOCN website and looked, please take time to do so.

RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

This year, we have been working with our industry partners in new and exciting ways to provide you, the member, with new innovative educational products. We want to recognize our industry partners for their support in our efforts to educate.

The emPOWERed program is sponsored through a restricted educational grant from Smith and Nephew to advance the professional practice of the WOC nurse and has multi-year focus.

As you will remember, last year at the WOCN Society’s 45th Annual Conference, we were able to present the completed “Professional Practice Manual Fourth Edition.” To ensure that our members truly understand, and are able to utilize, this valuable tool, Smith and Nephew’s restricted educational grant has supported a “free to the regions” educational offering translating the use of the manual in everyday practice.

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The WOCN Society and Sage Products share a core philosophy of prevention of skin damage and recognize that evidence-based interventions will lead to improved patient outcomes.

The educational support from Sage Products is focused on prevention of pressure ulcers. Sage Products provided funding for 10 first-time poster presenters, whose posters focused on prevention, to attend conference this past year. Their contribution of funding helped to offset the cost of attendance plus helps focus attention on, and recognition of, our members who are working so hard to reduce the occurrence of pressure ulcers in their facility/agency.

The WOCN Society and Sage Products have also collaborated to develop a series of webinars to provide education for WOC nurses in the prevention of pressure ulcers.

The first was presented in April 2014, the second on application of the science was in July 2014, and the third, a panel discussion with several of our members who have implemented successful prevention programs, in October 2014. I hope you have had the chance to take advantage of these opportunities. If you were unable to view them live they are available in the WOCN Continuing Education Center (www.prolibraries.com/wocn).

Another of our recent ventures focuses on support surfaces.

As most of you are aware, there are no strong research-based guidelines related to selection of appropriate support surfaces for prevention and/or treatment of pressure ulcers. WOC nurses have used their best judgment based on their own knowledge of causes of pressure ulcer development, but we have all known

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that we lacked an evidenced-based approach for selection.

This year, Hill-Rom provided the WOCN Society with an unrestricted educational grant, which partially funded the process for developing a support surface algorithm based on consensus of experts.

The unrestricted educational grant allowed our panel members to review the literature, develop consensus statements and develop a literature-based support surface algorithm, working with a medical writer, a moderator and an expert on tool development. A diverse group of content experts (who also reviewed the literature) was selected and met with the panel members in a consensus conference in May 2014. The results of that consensus conference, along with the algorithm, will generate a peer reviewed publication made available in JWOCN in the first quarter of 2015. We thank all those involved and look forward to their finished products.

Supported by an educational grant from Hollister Incorporated, the WOCN Society has created an “Educating Today for Exceptional Outcome Tomorrow” program. This is a multi-year program with the purpose of developing and promoting educational, clinical and research opportunities that support the delivery of expert health care to individuals affected by wounds, ostomies and incontinence.

The grant will also support printing the revision of “Management of the Patient with a Fecal Ostomy: Best Practice Guideline for Clinicians.” This will be in collaboration with the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA), the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) and the American Urological Association (AUA) and will launch in 2015.

If you have looked recently for research information about ostomy outcomes, you know there isn’t a lot available. We firmly believe that having a WOC nurse is an indicator of a more positive

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

outcome for ostomy surgery patients. But there is a gap between what we believe to be true and what we can prove. To that end, as part of the Hollister Incorporated educational grant, we are in the process of developing an ostomy outcomes research proposal. We will keep you informed as this evolves.

Part of the Hollister Incorporated educational grant allows experts within the Society (namely Dorothy Doughty, Laurie McNichol, Jan Colwell, Jane Carmel, Margaret Goldberg and Katherine Moore) to work diligently to develop the WOC nurse core curriculum textbooks. The textbooks will be based on the blueprint from the WOCN Educational Programs and will cover the entire scope of the specialty ensuring comprehensive coverage for new WOC students.

The unrestricted educational grant allowed our panel members to review the literature, develop consensus statements and develop a literature-based support surface algorithm, working with a medical writer, a moderator and an expert on tool development.

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and Linda Pasto, MS, RN, CNE. In addition, we would like to thank the UOAA, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, New York Medical Equipment Providers Association, American Cancer Society, Hollister Incorporated and ConvaTec, Inc. All these stakeholders came together to make New York only the second state to mandate coverage of ostomy supplies following the lead set by Connecticut. We would encourage you to take up the cause in your state so we can keep up the momentum!

PUBLIC POLICY AND ADVOCACY

Another pillar of our strategic plan focuses on advocacy. The WOCN Society developed a guiding principle related to the WOCN Society’s Health Care Agenda, which drives the public policy and advocacy activities.

The four identified priorities are: 1) Access to wound, ostomy and continence supplies.

2) Payment reform, ensuring patients have access to WOC specialty nurse services.

3) Nursing workforce and education.

4) Quality of care initiatives.

As we near the end of the 113th Session of Congress and enter the second year of full implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the WOCN Society has faced many new challenges and opportunities in health care public policy. Virtually every day, decisions are made by policy makers that have a direct impact on our profession and our patients. The following is a review of some of the major public policy initiatives that the WOCN Society has been involved with throughout the year and will continue to be engaged in during 2015.

New York Enacts Law Mandating Ostomy Supply Coverage Thanks to the hard work of WOCN members and their patients in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed into law a bill (S7893 in the Senate/A10140 in the Assembly) that requires all commercial major medical insurances to cover the provision of ostomy supplies. The bill, which was introduced by Senator Valesky and Assemblyman Magnarelli, will take effect Jan. 1, 2015.

The WOCN Society would like to thank the following members in New York who worked so hard to see this legislation become law: Heidi H. Cross, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, CWOCN; Donna J. Truland, BSN, RN, CWOCN; Jody Scardillo, MSN, RN, ANP-BC, CWOCN;

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CMS Proposes To Eliminate Global Surgical Codes On July 3, 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its annual proposed rule to update payment policies and payment rates for services furnished under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). Included in this proposed rule, CMS proposed to eliminate all 10- and 90-day global codes in 2017. According to CMS, The Office of the Inspector General has identified a number of surgical procedures that include more visits in the global period than are being furnished. In order to address the potential for misvaluation of surgical services, CMS is proposing to include only the services provided on the day of surgery, and to pay separately for visits and services actually furnished after the day of the procedure beginning in CY 2017. To view the proposed rule visit: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-07-11/html/201415948.htm.

This would dramatically alter the payment structure for the services provided by a WOC nurse and we are following the proposal closely. CMS was accepting comments on this proposal until Sept. 2, 2014. The WOCN Society did submit comments, which can be found on the WOCN website under the Advocacy Tab. WOCN Society Endorses Legislation to Cover Compression Stocking Therapy Recently the WOCN Society’s Board of Directors approved a new policy position paper that encourages expanded Medicare coverage of compression stockings. The document, which can be found on the WOCN Society’s website in the Online Document Library (www.wocn.org/library), specifically endorses The Lymphedema Treatment Act (HR 3877), which is currently before the United States Congress. HR 3877 would allow Medicare coverage of the compression supplies needed for the treatment of lymphedema and reduce recurrence of VLUs. Currently Medicare does not cover provider-prescribed compression therapy supplies for the treatment and prevention lymphedema or prevention of Venous Leg Ulcer (VLU) recurrence.

The WOCN Society believes that comprehensive coverage of compression therapy represents the best clinical and cost effective practice for treatment of VLU and believes that expanded coverage of compression is both cost effective and clinically appropriate.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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The WOCN Society is working in collaboration with the ASCRS and AUA to revise both the 2007 “ASCRS and WOCN Joint Position Statement on the Value of Preoperative Stoma Marking for Patients Undergoing Fecal Ostomy Surgery” and the 2009 “AUA and WOCN Joint Position Statement on the Value of Preoperative Stoma Marking for Patients Undergoing Urinary Ostomy Surgery.” Both of the updated position statements will be published in the JWOCN and available on the WOCN Society’s Online Document Library (www.wocn.org/library) in 2015.

The WOCN Society has worked with ConvaTec, Inc., and UOAA to develop the “Guiding Principles for Sustainable Access to Ostomy Services, Technologies and Innovation.” These principles promote both access to supplies and access to clinical experts: WOC nurses. A total of 16 organizations have signed on and agreed to support this document.

The following are efforts being made on behalf of the nursing workforce and education as well as for quality care:

• We have and continue to participate in the CAUTI reduction workgroup (four representatives are involved in the ANA goal to develop an evidence based tool for foley reduction and alternative urinary incontinence management).

• We engage in ongoing participation in nominations for panels with NQF. • We have been active in the OASIS Refinement Task Force.

Please be sure to visit www.wocn.org regularly to learn more about the work of the Society and the development of tools and services to enhance your practice. Also, keep an eye on your inbox for email communications regarding industry and Society news.

And finally, don’t forget to participate in the members-only forums, located on the website, to get involved in conversations with other members.

• We continue to support the Nursing Caucus Title 8.

Now Available:

THE WOCN SOCIETY BLOG The WOCN Society has officially launched our blog at www.wocn.org/blog and we want our members to share their insights and experiences as WOC nurses in the field.

Do you have a great topic that you would like to share with your colleagues? Want to blog but are unsure of what you can write about? Email Lauren SchoenerGaynor at lgaynor@wocn.org, and she will help get you started!

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REGION & AFFILIATE NEWS

News from the WOC World HAMPTON ROADS AFFILIATE President: Kathy Merkh, MS, RN, CWON President-Elect: Cindy Miller, BSN, RN, CWOCN Secretary: Corrine Alvey, BSN, RN, CWOCN Treasurer: Lisa Radford, BSN, RN, CWOCN Member at Large for Communications: Karen Houchins, BSN, RN, CWCN Past President: Louise Johnson, BSN, RN, CWON

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Sheryl Bailey, BSN, RN, CWOCN, CFCN; and Melinda Edger, BSN, RN, CWOCN, presented their poster on “Quality Improvement Intervention with Patient Repositioning Device Results in HAPU Prevention and Cost Savings” at SAWC in April.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Sheryl and Melinda also received the Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center Annual DAISY Team Award in May 2014. This award is for a team of nurses who display extraordinary nursing and have made a difference through collaborative efforts.

Melinda and Sheryl worked tirelessly to make a difference in pressure ulcer prevention in the ICU. Congratulations to Eva Sauls for being chosen as the Hampton Roads WOC Nurse of the Year. Eva has been working in home health for all of her WOC career.

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Cindy Dowd, MSNEd, RN, OCN, CWOCN; and Susan Russell, BSN, RN, were speakers at the Virginia Academy of Physician Assistants summer conference in July 2014. They spoke on VLU assessment and treatment from the perspective of entry into a facility, ED or office practice, and what needs to get done until the patient is referred to a wound clinic.

Congratulations to Penny Crawford, APRN, FNP, BC, CWOCN, on successfully re-certifying in her FNP in August.

RECENT EVENTS

This year the Hampton Roads Affiliate hosted its fall conference, Navigating the River of Knowledge in Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing, Oct. 17-18, 2014, at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside in Norfolk, Virginia. The Conference Committee planned an amazing conference that furthered our education in the everchanging healthcare arena. For more information, visit www.marwocn.org.

Before the conference on Oct. 16, we once again hosted our annual golf tournament. All proceeds were targeted for our scholarship program, which awards deserving candidates twice a year.

During the conference, we announced the Mid-Atlantic WOC Nurse of the Year as well as the results of our elections. Kudos to Claudia Thomas, who accepted the position to become chairperson of the Nominations Committee.

Congratulations to the following nurses from the Mid-Atlantic Region who had abstracts/posters accepted at the WOCN Society’s 46th Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee: Catherine Ratliff Margaret Birdsing

Kimberly Mciltrot Vanessa Johns Mary Dalton Margarita Simon Ferne Eslsass Gail Erickson Joan Muller Deanna Benoit Barbara Kane Joan Selekof Jeannette Massabni Bret Anderson Gwendolyn Williams Keisha McElveen Julianna Sapp Kathleen Merkh Corrine Alvey Kathleen Wright Lisa Owens Good luck to Brenda Hensley, who was selected as one of the top 10 home care nurses in the country for 2014 and finalist for the Home Care & Hospice Nurse of the Year Award by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice. The winner of the Nurse of the Year was awarded at the annual conference in October.

REGIONAL NEWS

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BALTIMORE AFFILIATE

MIDEAST REGION (MER)

RECENT EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

Our active membership meets every two months. A regular highlight of each meeting this year has been the addition of Learning from Within, which provides an opportunity for one of our members to present a case study or recent innovation.

Another educational activity came through KCI, who provided us access to the KCI Wound Care Simulation Van in September.

In November, we shift our learning focus to the patient experience, as we look forward to hearing about the experience of an individual who has a particularly complex surgical story to share as an ostomate and recipient of a small bowel transplant.

We continue our mission to optimize transitions of care for the new ostomate across the continuum, and regularly discuss both milestones and challenges in the ongoing process of ensuring safe transitions for this vulnerable patient population.

Handoffs from outpatient marking and teaching to inpatient care and home health nursing are all critical to the patient’s adaptation and recovery.

In October, we again held a workshop entitled Ostomy Care: Best Practices, geared toward nurses in our community who care for ostomy patients in acute care, LTC, rehab and home care.

Calling ourselves the Baltimore bag ladies, we supported the Take Steps for Crohn’s and Colitis Walk in June, raising $2,000! We also sponsored a member who volunteered at the Youth Rally in July in San Diego, California. Lastly, a regular outreach effort is our ongoing attendance and presentations for the Baltimore Ostomy Association.

Greetings from the MER! Cleveland, Ohio will be the host for our Regional Conference this fall. The Conference Planning Committee has been working hard to host an outstanding meeting. There is even a televised live colorectal surgery on the agenda. For more information about the conference, visit the MER website at www.mideastregion.org. Indianapolis, Indiana will be the host for the 2015 Regional Conference. Look for information during the Cleveland MER Conference and, later, on the MER website.

WELCOME NEW VOLUNTEERS

Mideast region members continue to be very active both on a regional and national level. We have many new committee chairs. Pam Gilbert recently accepted the chair position for the Research Committee. Nancy Waltz has joined us as Governmental Affairs Committee chair.

And finally, the Fundraising Committee has a new chair, Jerri Sullivan. Please join us in welcoming these volunteers. Their contact information may be found on the MER website. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact one of the current Board members.

ELECTIONS

Fall is election time! The Nominations Committee did a great job with identifying candidates as the ballot provided members with several choices. We had a minimum of two candidates for each position! These new Board members will be inducted into office at the conclusion of the Cleveland meeting. Thank you to everyone in our region for your support and willingness to volunteer!

EDUCATION

Indiana University Health, Methodist, continues to be instrumental in WTA education. They hosted a WTA program in September with over 30 participants from around the state and beyond. WOC teamled care redesign, with added competent WTA nurses, has allowed WOC nurses to reduce non-value added work, improve collaborative relationships and influence patient and provider outcomes to validate the contribution of the WOC nurse role.

The WOC team at IU Health, Methodist Hospital received an award from the IU Health Board of Directors’ Committee on quality and patient safety related to their redesign and decrease in hospital-acquired pressure ulcer rates.

GREATER DELAWARE VALLEY AFFILIATE (GDV) UPCOMING EVENTS

As the summer winds down, members of the GDV look forward to reconnecting at meetings planned for September and November. All of our meetings provide for an education component and much needed time to share with each other and exchange ideas on how to deal with complicated patient issues. Many of our members also look forward to attendance at NER Fall Conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

We would like to recognize a few of our members for their very outstanding accomplishments and thank them for representing us so well: Alecia Tamburino, for her volunteerism and participation in Youth Rally; Michel Quigel, on receiving an educational scholarship from the WOCN Society to continue her graduate education; Kathy Judge, on receiving the Outstanding Alumni Award from Rutgers University for her leadership and excellence in nursing; Dr. Janice Beitz, on receiving the 2014 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and Dr. Kevin Emmons, on receiving the 2014 Outstanding Nurse Educator Award, from Rutgers School of Nursing-Camden; and Dawn Carson, for publishing an article, “Certified Wound, IN IT FOR YOU | ISSUE 4, FALL 2014

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Ostomy and Continence Nurse Becomes an Inventor,” in the JWOCN March/April 2014 issue. Dawn described how she worked to develop a heel boot currently being used by University of Pennsylvania Health System to decrease heel pressure ulcers.

Congratulations to all of these members for their outstanding accomplishments. We are all so proud of you.

WESTERN PA AFFILIATE UPCOMING EVENTS

The Western PA NERWOCN Affiliate meets five times each year. March, July and November are vendor sponsored and provide education on current practices. The vendor fair is in May. Competencies and elections of new board members (president-elect for 20152016) were Sept. 18, 2014.

The Nov. 20, 2014 meeting is sponsored by Mölnlycke. Meeting times: 12:30-3:30 pm. Attendance is 20-30 members at each meeting.

The Western PA Affiliate is hosting the 2015 NER Conference, Oct. 2-4, 2015 at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, Pennsylvania. The theme is Sailing the Waves of Quality Care.

RECOGNITIONS

Jaylynn Fisher completed her WOC nursing education training.

Julia Warner, BSN, RN, CWON, presented three posters, demonstrating positive outcomes in pressure ulcer prevention and engagement of nursing staff: • “What Would Flo Do? A Practical Beginning for Achieving Outcomes and Patient Safety on a Stepdown Unit” • “Turning Up the Heat: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Best Practice Pressure Ulcer Prevention in the Burn Unit” • “Camp Zero: Educating and Empowering Nursing Assistants as Primary Agents for Skin Health Maintenance and Pressure Ulcer 10

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Prevention in an Acute Care Facility” Attendance at WOCN Society’s 46th Annual Conference embraced fine tuning of WOC nursing skills, and brought home the latest and greatest best practices for 2014.

GARDEN STATE AFFILIATE (GSA) MEETINGS

The GSA meetings are held quarterly from 5:30–7:30 pm. The location had been Overlook Medical Center in Summit, New Jersey. The group had recently voted to alternate the meetings between Overlook Medical Center and Kraft Center/Valley Hospital in Paramus, New Jersey. We had successfully changed to alternating sites, but we have since realized we need to return to the Overlook Medical Center site exclusively. The venue change is due to our desire to provide CEUs at every meeting, and currently Overlook is able complete the necessary paperwork so we may obtain the CEUs. We have decided that for our September meeting we will have two CEU presentations: Jill Cox will present her study on pressure ulcers and Clara Collins will present on pediatric ostomy issues.

Dermasciences will sponsor the meeting.

This particular meeting will begin at 3 pm. Attendance at the meetings averages between 15–18 members.

Vendor presentations this year have included ConvaTec (March) and Sundance (May).

Raffle tickets have been provided to members attending the GSA meetings and in September a drawing was held. The winner received the amount equal to the NER registration fee to put toward their conference cost.

AFFILIATE NEWS

The primary focus of the GSA to date this year has been ensuring our membership list is up to date, as well as changing our meeting location as noted above to allow us to offer CEUs at our meetings.

Several of our members attended the national meeting and reported back during our September meeting.

PUBLICATIONS AND POSTERS

“The efficacy of gum chewing in reducing post operative ileus,” by Janet Doyle-Munoz, CWOCN; Toni Mctigue, NP, CWOCN; Stephanie D’Andrea, RN, CWON; and Angela Natale-Ryan, RN, CWON, was published in the May/June JWOCN. Stephanie D’Andrea, RN,CWON; Angela Natale-Ryan, RN, CWON; Susan Tracy, RN, CWOCN; Christine Nunag, RN, CWOCN; Lynn Eggert, RN, CWCN, presented a poster at WOCN Annual

REGIONAL NEWS

R E G I O N S A N D A F F I L I AT E S A R E O R G A N I Z E D T H R O U G H O U T T H E C O U N T R Y S O M E M B E R S O F T H E S O C I E T Y C A N SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE, CONCERNS AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES ON A LOCAL LEVEL.

Conference 2014 titled, “The use of Polyacrylate Polymer Debridement agent for gentle and effective debridement in wounds of differing etiologies.”

NEW ENGLAND REGION The New England region recently lost some founding members. Marie Gavin was very active and served as treasurer for many years and on many committees.

Even when she was not on the Board she was always helping. Marie was nominated many times for the WOC Nurse of the Year but she always declined. The region presented the 2013 WOC Nurse of the Year to Marie. Her husband, Jim, graciously accepted the honor in Marie’s memory.

The region also lost Janet Gillis this year. Janet was a cheerleader for our Youth Rally auction. She motivated members to reach into their pockets to help the kids. She was able to raise funds so the region could send up to seven campers to the Youth Rally camp. To honor

Janet’s memory, the region is offering a yearly scholarship to send a WOC nurse counselor to the Youth Rally.

EVENTS

The New England region holds an annual conference in October. For more information about the region visit www.newenglandwocn.org.

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IOWA AFFILIATE

TUCSON AFFILIATE

MEMBER RECOGNITIONS AND ACTIVITIES

Mario Lluria, BSN, RN, CWOCN, is the 2014 Mountain West Nurse.com Nursing Excellence GEM Awards regional winner in the Clinical Nursing, Inpatient category.

He was nominated by two clinical nurse specialists for his outstanding work with his patients in wound and ostomy care at University of Arizona Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona.

It has been a busy year for the Iowa Affiliate. Catherine P. Smith, MSN, ARNP, ANP-BC, GNP-BC, CWOCN, CHPN, received the Living Our Mission Award.

The award recognizes nurses within the organization who live the mission of healing, caring and teaching from Unity Point in Des Moines, Iowa in April. We had 35 members in attendance at the WOCN Society’s 46th Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, with JoAnn ErmerSeltun and Mary Mahoney as speakers.

Mary Mahoney was elected to the Nominating Committee where she will serve a two-year term. The Iowa Affiliate also has five other members serving on national committees: Zoe Bishop Education; Liz Brecht, Marketing; LeAnn Krapl, JWOCN Chair; Laurie Ellefson, WOCNCB President; and JoAnn ErmerSeltun, Continence Speaker planning.

Over the summer Laura Phearman and Cindi Newton volunteered at a youth camp that serves many young ostomates. Thanks to such a wonderful group of WOC nurses who provide leadership in their workplaces, serve as mentors to new members, volunteer in our communities and serve leadership at the national level! Together we can change the world!

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NORTH CENTRAL REGION (NCR) Congratulations are in order for several of our members! The North Central Region Excellence in Practice Award was awarded to Jeanne Stadler. Lynette Rietsema won the drawing for an all-expense-paid NCR Fall Conference Destination Knowledge in Rochester, Minnesota, Sept. 19 and 20. Many of our members were able to attend the WOCN Society’s 46th Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee and several presented posters. The Sage Prevention and First Time Poster Award went to Alanna Seppelt, our treasurer.

Julie Powell received a well deserved award from the United Ostomy Association. We are looking forward to our fall conference in Rochester, where we will once again install our officers, catch up with each other personally and learn about practice changes or enhancements!

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION (SCR) The SCR council members have been working very hard this past year. The council met in February 2014 to transition officers and review Policy and Procedures (P&P) for updates. Our goal was to review the current P&P and identify changes needed to assist with improving overall participation of the members.

The council identified ways to improve scholarship awards, increase committee assistance and implement the new process.

Throughout 2014, the council has also been collaborating with a webmaster representative to update the SCR website.

At this time, the website is up and running, with only a few minor changes left to be made. This is an impressive accomplishment of the council and we encourage members to take advantage of this site and offer any recommendations for other improvements.

During the WOCN Society’s 46th Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, the regional members met to collaborate with each other and share any accomplishments. At this time, the council took the opportunity to acknowledge all members who presented a poster at the conference by awarding a certificate to them. We had a fantastic turn out and look forward to all the unlimited activities from the SCR members in the near future.

A Special

THANK YOU The WOCN Society would like to thank all of the 2013-2014 committee and task force volunteers. Thank you for your hard work, efforts and dedication to the WOCN Society initiatives.

We would also like to thank those who were a part of the seven committees dissolving. We thank you for your support of the committee/task force transition. The tireless and selfless work you do for the Society is greatly appreciated.

At this time, we would like to welcome all new WOCN Society volunteers!

There were over 100 applications received. We appreciate your willingness to serve and advocate the mission and vision of the WOCN Society.

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RESEARCH

2015 Research and Funding / Call for Research Proposals

T

he Center for Clinical Investigation (CCI) of the WOCN Society Foundation is pleased to announce the Call for Proposals for one 2015 Member’s Research Grant in the amount of $10,000. If you are a registered nurse and current member of the WOCN Society, you are eligible to be a Principal Investigator of this grant and are invited to apply. Eligible international members may also apply.

Through this grant, the CCI and the WOCN Society aims to expand the existing research base for WOC nursing practice and facilitate WOC nurses to be engaged in research as clinical investigators.

The 2015 WOCN Society Member’s Research Grant funds studies that aim to improve health outcomes of patients with WOC problems, strengthen the evidence base of WOC nursing practice and enhance the delivery of WOC nursing care.

Studies the CCI is interested in funding include, but are not limited to: • Studies that increase knowledge about WOC nursing interventions promoting patient health and wellbeing; describe the epidemiology, issues and impact of WOC health problems and the need for WOC nursing care; and evaluate the benefits of WOC nursing on healthcare delivery. WOC nursing interventions may relate to nursing assessment, prevention and management.

• Studies that include diverse or

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underrepresented populations in various clinical settings, or strategies that are culturally sensitive, advocate for patients or increase health literacy and patient/family care capacity are welcome.

• Studies that investigate comparative effectiveness of devices or products, medical procedures or pharmacologic trials are of low priority.

NOTICE OF INTEREST!

Please submit a Notice of Interest email anytime before the grant submission deadline to Linda Dahle, Program Associate (dahle081@umn.edu) when you are considering applying for a 2015 Member’s Research Grant. This is not a commitment, and you can notify CCI later if you change your mind. This will enable CCI to send you any updates or resources to assist you. Please include the following information in the notice of interest e-mail: • Principal investigator name • Topic you are considering studying and title of proposal • A statement of the purpose of the study • Email address • Telephone number

Please check the Foundation, Research & Funding section (www.wocn.org/ researchfunding) of the WOCN Society website for information. The submission deadline is Monday, Feb. 9, 2015 by 4:30 pm (CST). There will be no extensions.

For further information, please contact: Linda Dahle, Program Associate Center for Clinical Investigation 612-624-2460 dahle081@umn.edu Dr. Donna Z. Bliss, CCI Center Director bliss@umn.edu

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F E AT U R E

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F E AT U R E

F

rom attracting international members and conference attendees to developing mobile apps, this year the WOCN Society is reaching beyond

borders, both

geographically and virtually , to

connect WOC nurses and other healthcare officials around the world with one another.

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NEW MEMBER BENEFIT

MEMBER BENEFIT

BY BECKY DRYDEN, P U B L I C AT I O N S AND WEBSITE MANAGER

T

he Society has added a new member benefit where members can post their resumes to the new Career Center on the WOCN website. WOCN members can post their resumes anonymously in the database.

Visit www.wocn.org/careercenter, click on the blue “Job Seekers” tab, then on “Post a Resume” (you will be prompted to sign into your Member Center profile if you aren’t already logged in). From there, follow the steps provided to either upload an existing document in Word or PDF format, or create a new profile/resume.

All information provided in your resume will be displayed with the exception of your name and contact information.

Recruiters and employers are only able to contact you through the internal messaging system found within the Career Center.

Another benefit of the Career Center is the ability to create personalized job alerts.

When a new job is posted that meets the criteria (job function, industry and state) you identified, you’ll receive an email notification. You can set up notifications to come daily or weekly.

Post your resume and set up a job alert through the WOCN Society’s Career Center today.

If you need assistance please contact the WOCN Society’s Career Center customer service department at clientserv@jobtarget.com

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The Importance of Updating Your Member Center Profile B Y H E AT H E R M A R T I N E K , A S S I S TA N T E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R

T

he WOCN Society Member Center includes a member profile section that allows you to share your professional and personal background with the Society so we can enhance your membership experience. Updating your profile with your current information allows the WOCN Society to gather accurate data about our membership and maximize member benefits accordingly.

Understanding our membership demographics helps the Society identify new member benefits, publications and educational offerings. Profile information such as certifications, areas of practice and patient populations allow us to target educational needs and professional growth that is important to YOU! Keeping your email address current is vital to your membership. This enables you to stay current and connected with member benefits, important announcements, new products, Annual Conference information and much more! Update your mailing address to ensure you receive valuable mailings such as the Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing (JWOCN), the In It for You magazine and a card on your birthday with a special gift.

INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THE MEMBER PROFILE • Name • Certifications • Professional Information • Region and Affiliate • Areas of Practice • Patient Populations After updating your information, you can choose to be part of the Nurse Referral database. By submitting your name to the database, you will permit patients to connect with nurses. Connecting a nurse and patient based on background helps enhance the patients’ experience. Your professional growth will expand as well.

HOW DO YOU UPDATE YOUR PROFILE?

Please log into the Member Center by visiting www.wocn.org and entering your user name and password on the right-hand side. Once you are logged in, you will be automatically prompted to edit your profile. Please enter all the information and click on “Submit” at the bottom of the page. If you need assistance updating your profile, please contact wocn_info@wocn.org or view the video tutorial at www.wocn.org/editprofile.

F E AT U R E

Quick Answers Anytime, Anywhere

G

iven the ever-changing landscape of health care and the technologies that surround the field, the WOCN Society prides itself in creating innovative educational tools and resources that provide WOC nurses the knowledge they need to advance the practice and guide the delivery of expert health care to individuals with wound, ostomies and incontinence.

New this year, the Evidence-Based Wound Care Guidelines and Fecal Ostomy Best Practice app does just that.

The app, available through download on all Apple and Android devices, provides up-to-date recommendations for patients with pressure ulcers, fecal ostomies, lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD), lower extremity neuropathic disease (LEND) and lower extremity venous disease (LEVD).

Through the app, the user is able to view the differential assessment algorithm, image library and extended guidelines and tools to help assess patients anytime, anywhere. The Evidence-Based Wound Care Guidelines and Fecal Ostomy Best Practice app combines the following wound care guidelines and fecal ostomy best practice to deliver quick answers: Pressure Ulcers: This guideline provides consistent, evidence-based information about pressure ulcers, as well as an overview covering the background, significance and physiological aspects of pressure ulcers. Also presented is the etiology of pressure ulcers, overall management goals and recommendations for prevention and treatment. The guideline

includes an algorithm to determine wound etiology, a comprehensive glossary and several appendices with tools for managing pressure ulcers.

Fecal Ostomy: This clinical best practice includes types of ostomies, stoma site marking, patient education, pouching options and management and quality of life for patients. This clinical practice guideline is intended for use by physicians, nurses, therapists and other healthcare professionals who work with people who will undergo or have undergone a procedure that results in a fecal ostomy.

LEAD: Based on the latest research evidence, this guideline supports clinical practice to achieve improved, cost-effective patient outcomes and a compilation of recommendations, along with a level of evidence rating, to assess and manage patients with/or at risk for wounds due to LEAD. LEND: This guideline will promote evidence-based assessment, prevention and management strategies for neuropathic patients, including the millions of patients with diabetes and a myriad of other primary diagnoses.

It also provides a strong impetus for education, offers a framework for future research and supports evidence-based clinical practice to improve quality of life for patients and cost effective outcomes for health systems.

LEVD: These evidence-based recommendations for prevention and treatment in this growing population are geared toward healthcare professionals who direct, provide or specialize in wound care for patients with LEVD.

Through the app, the user is able to view the differential assessment algorithm, image library and extended guidelines and tools to help assess patients anytime, anywhere.

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Collaborative Program Reduces Pressure Ulcer Rates B Y M I C H E L L E W E N Z E L , B S N , R N , C W O N ( M I C H E L L E . W E N Z E L @ U N I T Y P O I N T. O R G )

N

urses from a variety of specialties were able to work collaboratively to reduce pressure ulcers in the hospital setting. This resulted in improved patient outcomes and cost savings. Since 2008 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) no longer provides reimbursement for hospital-acquired stage III and IV pressure ulcers. This can become very expensive for hospitals as the care required to treat one pressure ulcer can range from $20,900 to $151,700 (National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, n.d.). Due to the expense associated with pressure ulcers, along with the need to drive patient safety quality indicators, UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, implemented a program that has reduced the incidence of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) impressively and ultimately improved patient outcomes.

UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital is a fully accredited 532-bed hospital with 3.5 full-time equivalents of certified wound and ostomy nurses. From the second quarter of 2010 until the second quarter of 2012 there was a rise in the number of HAPUs found in the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) conducted surveys. In the second quarter of 2012 the incidence rate was 4.55 percent.

St. Luke’s Inpatient Skin Care Services identified the problem and collaborated to reduce this injury rate. During the first

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Graph I: NDNQI HAPU Prevalence Rate Graph I: NDNQI HAPU Prevalence Rate

a

and second quarters of 2012 the skin care nurses developed and implemented ways to reduce the number of HAPUs throughout the hospital. Various programs were trialed, such as positive reinforcement with awards and the Race to Zero program. The intervention with the most impact was a mentoring program with a certified wound nurse collaborating with front line nurses to review pressure-related injuries occurring on their units. Root cause analyses were completed to identify the causative factors and a preventative plan was established and implemented.

During the third quarter of 2012, the certified wound care nurses created a multidisciplinary approach to prevent HAPUs from emerging. The multidisciplinary team included leadership and nurses from the involved unit, an

advanced practice nurse and certified wound care nurses. Every unit with three or more reports of HAPUs per quarter was assigned an expert wound care nurse with whom to collaborate during unit council meetings. As the groups examined each episode of preventable pressurerelated injuries, trends became apparent.

Device-related injuries were common, static air mattresses were frequently found improperly inflated due to lack of proper training on use of the equipment, and there was a lack of documentation of thorough skin assessments being completed upon admission. In many instances it was felt that patients were coming into the hospital with the wounds, but there was no documentation to prove this.

The intensive care unit (ICU) was the first to work with the advanced practice

F E AT U R E

Graph II: Total Quarterly Hospital-Acquired Pressure Ulcers Graph II: Pressure Ulcers

nurse and a certified wound care nurse.

St. Luke’s Hospital ICU is a 16-bed unit.

ICU had nine HAPUs develop in fourth quarter of 2012. In February 2013, the multidisciplinary team collaborated to create an action plan to reduce the HAPU incidence rate. According to the data, if pressure-related injuries continued at the rate prior to prevention interventions, a total of 44 injuries would have been expected over the next six months.

However, only seven were observed. By the end of the second quarter 2013, only four HAPUS had been identified, and by the third and fourth quarters, only two.

The success seen in ICU has also been seen consistently on other units, due to implementation of the mentoring program (see Graph II). Each unit establishes unique preventive interventions specific

According to the data, if pressure-related injuries continued at the rate prior to prevention interventions, a total of 44 injuries would have been expected over the next six months.

to its needs. Some successful interventions include completing dual skin assessments upon admission and transfer; routine assessments to ensure mattress are inflated properly; and implementing focused education on pericares, use of turn equipment, floating of heels, removal of TEDS and device-related injuries. With the implementation of this collaborative, multidisciplinary program UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital has increased awareness of preventing HAPUs and overall has seen a reduction in the number of variance reports filed.

RE F E REN C E National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (n.d.).

Pressure Ulcer Awareness Day. Retrieved on August 12, 2014 from http://www.npuap.org/ wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ProclamationPressure-Ulcer-Awareness-Day.pdf.

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S TA N D U P A N D TA K E A B O W

All Teach, All Learn: Reducing Hospital-Acquired Conditions Through Collaboration B Y M E G A N P TA S Z E N S K I , A S S O C I AT E M A R C O M M A N A G E R

I

t all started in the 1980s with a group of six children’s hospitals in Ohio. In their early days, The Ohio Children’s Hospital Association (OCHA) advocated for the reimbursement of pediatric health care along with other legislative and regulatory issues affecting pediatric health care in Ohio. Over time their mission expanded, and in 2009, with the help of the Ohio Department of Health and the remaining children’s hospitals in the state, OCHA helped develop quality measures for reporting that changed the way pediatric hospitals in Ohio faced the treatment and reduction of hospitalacquired conditions (HACs).

As a result of this collaboration, the Ohio Children’s Hospitals Solutions for Patient Safety (OCHSPS) was launched, and a network of doctors, nurses and healthcare executives throughout the state was formed. This network of clinical and executive leadership was faced with the task of reducing and preventing two pediatric health care measures: surgical site infections (SSI) and adverse drug events (ADE). Through training, the use and measurement of event prevention bundles and much collaboration, SSIs

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and ADEs were significantly reduced throughout the state.

Because of their resounding success, and with the assistance of the Cardinal Foundation and the federal Partnership for Patients (PfP) initiative, the OCHSPS expanded its reach and formed the Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS) National Children’s Network; a nationwide initiative of leadership whose mission is to work collaboratively to eliminate serious harm across all pediatric hospitals in the United States.

SPS's focus is on reducing harm by preventing readmissions, serious safety events and HACs by tracking occurrences and implementing pediatric process prevention bundles. Specific HACs associated with the SPS’s mission include: • CLABSI – Catheter line associated blood stream infections • VTE – Venous thromboembolism • PU – Pressure ulcers • SSI – Surgical site infections • CAUTI – Catheter associated urinary tract infections

SPS’s focus is on reducing harm by preventing readmissions, serious safety events and HACs by tracking occurrences and implementing pediatric process prevention bundles.

D E PA R T M E N T

• Injuries from falls and immobility • VAP – Ventilator-associated pneumonia • ADE – Adverse drug events • Ostetrical adverse events • Preventable readmissions What started as a small network led by eight pediatric hospitals in 2011 has since grown to a movement in which nurses, doctors, executive leadership, patients and families from more than 80 pediatric hospitals across the country work together to “do no harm” to the children in their care. WOCN Society member, Kristina Foster, MS, RN, APRN-BC, CWOCN, is the WOC Team Manager at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, and one of many WOC nurses across the country participating in the SPS network.

“The nice thing about participating [in

the SPS network] is that you don’t have to do it alone,” says Foster. “Hospitals can share resources for other participants to view and use in their own hospital so everyone involved does not have to reinvent the wheel. If someone has an a-ha moment, they can share what worked for them and everyone can benefit from that knowledge.”

Members of the SPS network participate in monthly data collection and analysis along with webinars, conference calls and other networking activities. Each participant evokes an “all teach, all learn” mentality and is urged to maintain transparency of care in order to share his or her successes and failures and work collaboratively with patients, their families, other nurses, doctors and hospital executives across the country as they all continue their journey toward zero harm.

Are you involved with the SPS Network or an HAC reduction task force in your hospital?

Email your story to share@wocn.org today and you could be featured in a future marketing campaign of the WOCN Society.

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PERSPECTIVES

PERSPECTIVES FROM

AROUND THE WORLD W OC N SO C I E TY ME MB E RS OUTSIDE THE CONTINENTAL U.S.

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D E PA R T M E N T

PERSPECTIVES

Brazil

BY CAMILA MEGUMI NAKA SHIMURA, CURRENT PhD AND WOC NURSING STUDENT

W

hen I was a graduate student, I was a member of the plastic surgery group. I became fascinated with the patients with burns and chronic wounds. That was my initial motivator to become a WOC nurse. But at my post-graduation course, I had this amazing experience and opportunity to follow-up with preoperative and postoperative colorectal cancer patients. It was then that I realized that WOC nurses have the ability to change people’s lives and how they can empower the patient to self-care.

In Brazil, there are many challenges in the WOC nursing profession, ranging from nursing education to access to ostomy supplies and patient education. There are many issues that affect the health of the population due to precarious living conditions, urban overcrowding and low achievement in Brazilian education. These conditions widely impact the work of the WOC nursing profession.

WOC nursing education in Brazil was not always available. In fact, it was not until 1990 that Brazil implemented its first stomatherapy course, in SĂŁo Paulo (Yamada, 2003). While this was a major accomplishment for Brazilian health care, there are no educational opportunities in remote regions of Brazil, which means nurses are required to move to major metropolitan areas to specialize in WOC nursing.

There are many nurses who are unprepared to provide special treatments for wound, incontinence and/or ostomy care.

Many nurses lack knowledge on various products on the market. It is common for the nursing staff to cut skin barrier adhesives incorrectly, which can result in dermatitis.

A major issue for WOC nursing in Brazil is accessing ostomy supplies. By law, the Brazilian government is required to provide supplies for ostomy patients. The issue, however, is that there are times when a patient cannot have what it is the best for them or what they feel more comfortable using.

Recently, I had a patient who had three fistulas and an ileostomy; my colleague had to borrow pastes from another ostomy patient because there is a lack of pastes on the market. For her, the paste is essential as it prevents leakage and dermatitis while also increasing wear time.

Patient education is another issue I frequently see. According to the Brazilian Ostomy Association, there are an estimated 34,000 individuals with ostomies in Brazil (ABRASO, n.d.). It is common to hear a patient at a postoperative visit asking what their surgery was or what a stoma is.

Another issue is not having a preoperative stoma marking site, which can help prevent complications.

As a WOC nurse, I have an important role with education on admission, preoperative, postoperative and home care. I am responsible for providing information to patients so they can make the right decisions before and after their surgery. Often times they think their lives are over after having an ostomy, but I educate them on the various things they can still do with an ostomy, such as going to the beach, having a significant

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D E PA R T M E N T

other, playing soccer, etc.

As a new WOC nurse, I am thankful to the WOCN Society for providing me with a travel scholarship to attend the WOCN Society's 46th Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. I had a unique experience that provided me with hands-on experience and the ability to network with other WOC nurses.

Taking advantage of the educational opportunities the WOCN Society offers has helped me immensely as a WOC nurse in Brazil. This year I became a member of the WOCN Society and was amazed at how educational and meaningful my membership to the Society is.

Although there are many challenges being a WOC nurse in Brazil, nursing is the most beautiful profession, and it is rewarding to know that my service gives meaning to somebody’s life.

Once I was changing an ostomy pouch for a patient and he said to me, “I like to come here because you have worked hard to become a WOC nurse and you know how to take care of my stoma and patiently teach my wife how to care for me.” That phrase keeps reaching my heart and soul and cannot be taken from me.

I challenge myself to keep believing and continue to spread my knowledge throughout the Brazilian territory, and thus ensure the patient’s quality of life. I am on the right path to achieving success!

R E FE RENCES Associação Brasileira de Ostomizados (ABRASO). (n.d.). Quantitativo aproximado de Pessoas Ostomizadas no Brasil. Retrieved 2014 from http://www.abraso.org.br/estatistica_ ostomizados.htm BRASIL, Ministério da Saúde. (2009). Estabelece as Diretrizes Nacionais para a Atenção à Saúde das Pessoas Ostomizadas no Âmbito do Sistema Único de Saúde – SUS. Retreived 2014 from http://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/saudelegis/ sas/2009/prt0400_16_11_2009.html Yamada, B. F. A., et al. (2003). Aspectos históricos, éticos e legais da estomaterapia. Rev Estima, 1(2), 40-45. Retreived 2014 from http://www. revistaestima.com.br/index.php?option=com_ content&view=article&id=200:revisao &catid=24:vol-1-edicao-2-abrmaijun2003&Itemid=53

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Once I was changing an ostomy pouch for a patient and he said to me, “I like to come here because you have worked hard to become a WOC nurse and you know how to take care of my stoma and patiently teach my wife how to care for me.” That phrase keeps reaching my heart and soul and cannot be taken from me.

D E PA R T M E N T

PERSPECTIVES

Bahamas

BY DAWN ALBURY-GAITOR, RN, BSN, CCRN, CWON, CFCN, CEO, NASSAU BAHAMAS ISLAND OSTOMY & WOUND TREATMENT CENTER

P

rior to 2005, WOC nursing was an enigma in the Bahamas. I was a practicing certified critical care nurse in the Bahamas who was suffering from boredom. I wanted to know, do and see more, but there were no other postgrad nursing educational programs locally that caught my interest. Meanwhile, I would moonlight at a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon’s outpatient clinic to assist in nursing duties whenever his aunt, a nurse, would go on vacation. It was here that I was introduced to the world of wound care; nothing that I had ever seen before! These wounds were foul and wet, often times covering the lower third or two-thirds of the legs. And the wound base, well, it reminded me of a vegetable pizza.

Wow! I soon learned they were vascular wounds, and the therapy was another story.

At the end of 2003, I was afforded the opportunity to work in the United States and landed a position in the trauma intensive care unit at Bayfront Medical in St. Petersburg, Florida, but after two short years I had set my eyes on travel nursing and did that for a few years. My goal was always to return home, so in preparation for that, while traveling, I took a sabbatical and enrolled at the Medical University of South Carolina and completed the wound care program under the tutelage of Dr. Phyllis Bonham.

Upon my return home in August 2007, I became employed full time at a cardiothoracic and vascular/trauma surgeon’s office as his clinical nurse specialist/wound care nurse. As a CCRN with subspecialties in cardiac medicine and cardiac surgery, I was responsible for the perioperative care of our patients. However, this position was new, as no physician ever had his own clinical nurse specialist that interfaced with public hospitals as well as the private practice.

News began to spread quickly in the medical community about a new wound care nurse in town. Soon, surgeons were calling from the government-owned hospital requesting help with wound care. It was at this time I also noticed an increase in ostomies for various reasons. Having touched on this

a bit in the WCN program, I became more interested in assisting this group of apparent disadvantaged patients. Realizing that I was not fully equipped to meet their needs, I enrolled in the Emory distance learning program in 2011, becoming certified in 2012.

To date, I am the only CWON in the Bahamas.

My challenges with this patient population were/are arduous as the only supplies available for the three types of ostomies were the flimsy torbot single-use, one-size-fits-all bags. Most of the patients were also uninsured and indigent. After agitating for proper supplies, I was given the opportunity to deliver a presentation to the committee members responsible for approving in-patient supplies.

This was my opportunity to shine! I brought in a plethora of proper ostomy products and accessories and used compelling photos demonstrating how ineffective the devices were when worn and weighted down with fecal matter and urine. They saw the varied skin issues as a result and identified with the shame, fear, and depression ostomates face.

This brought them to tears. Soon after this meeting, I began supplying the hospital with ostomy products. Daring to dream big and blaze a trail, on Oct. 31, 2011, I opened the first nurse-owned and operated outpatient wound ostomy care clinic in the Bahamas, called Island Ostomy and Wound Treatment Center.

As you might imagine, I became busy overnight as all patients were referred for all aspects of ostomy management. It was during this time, that I met a special young lady who became an ostomate at age 22. She was a passenger on a moving jet ski when she slipped off the back of the moving device and the powered jet stream of water caught her in the rectum. She was devastated as she nearly lost her life and ended up in the ICU with a colostomy. She, unfortunately, found out about her ostomy when she was discharged, she said. After her injury she went on to complete a master’s degree in traumatic counseling to assist people who may experience traumatic events and graduated with distinction. We became friends instantly.

Earlier this year, in her effort to assist her fellow ostomates, most of whom are indigent, she embarked on establishing an ostomy foundation in her name called the Megan Louise Sands Ostomy Foundation. Recently, a 5K fun run-walk fundraising event took place and raised $50,000 to purchase one year of ostomy supplies for 24 indigent ostomates locally. It is the foundation’s goal to fund nine indigent persons who have permanent ostomies with supplies for one year, and another 25 indigent persons with temporary ostomies with up to six months of supplies.

These people not only receive the supplies but expert evaluation by myself along with education and psychological support.

My experience thus far has been exceptionally rewarding and I am ecstatic that after rendering ostomy services probono for the past seven years, the institution finally accepted my proposal to be hired on a contractual basis as the Institution’s first ostomy nurse. I have made history in the Bahamas!

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F E AT U R E

OPINION

LOOKING

AHEAD TH E E V O LV I N G RO L E O F THE WO C N U RS E IN HO ME HE A LTH C A RE B Y J A M I E TA M B U R I N O , M S N , C R N P, C W O C N

A study by Westra (2013) and Bliss (2013) confirms the improved effect a WOC nurse can have on both improvement and stabilization of wounds, incontinence and urinary tract infection patient outcomes.

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W

here we provide patient care across the healthcare system is rapidly changing. Once primarily focused on the inpatient setting, care is increasingly shifting to outpatient offices, home care, and skilled nursing and other post-acute facilities (Cipriano, 2014). Total U.S. outpatient visits rose from 624 million in 2008 to 675 million in 2012, according to the American Hospital Association (Vesely, 2014). Over the same period, inpatient admissions for U.S. hospitals decreased from 35.76 million to 34.40 million (Vesely, 2014).

There are many reasons for these changes, including decreased consumer demand for hospital stays, pressure on hospitals to reduce costly care and eliminate unnecessary care and the shift from a volume- to a value-based reimbursement model (Cipriano, 2014). Healthcare systems are responding to the changes by reorganizing and streamlining their care delivery process (Vesely, 2014), which directly impacts the job prospects of the

WOC nurse in the inpatient setting.

The good news is there’s a significant need for the WOC nurse outside of the inpatient setting, as the outpatient model requires high quality, high-touch care. This includes home health care (HHC), where the complexity of care is rising (Bliss, 2013).

This is a growing opportunity for WOC nurses, as HHC expenditures are expected to increase from $57.6 billion to $119 billion by 2017 (Westra, 2013). Wounds and incontinence are frequent health problems in this setting (Bliss, 2013). However, only 13 percent of the 5,000 members of the WOCN Society practice in HHC as a primary site of employment (Bliss, 2013).

A study by Westra (2013) and Bliss (2013) confirms the improved effect a WOC nurse can have on both improvement and stabilization of wounds, incontinence and urinary tract infection patient outcomes.

The study reviewed 449,243 episodes of care from 785 HHC agencies with and without a WOC nurse. Urinary incontinence, the most prevalent clinical condition, accounted for 43.6 percent of all episodes

F E AT U R E

OPINION

of care, followed by surgical wounds at 27.9 percent (Westra, 2013).

With a WOC nurse on staff, the study shows patients in HHC facilities are (Westra, 2013): • Nearly twice as likely to have improvements in pressure ulcers • 20 percent more likely to have improvement in lower extremity ulcers • 40 percent more likely to have improvement in surgical wounds • 40 percent more likely to have improvement in urinary incontinence • 14 percent more likely to have improvements in bowel incontinence

With a WOC nurse on staff, HHC agencies also achieve significant improvements in their stabilization outcomes along these same clinical conditions, with the exception of stasis ulcers.

So what does all of this mean for you, the WOC nurse? Focus on the future and embrace the role of the WOC nurse in the HHC setting, as wound, ostomy, and continence clinical care continues to shift from acute care to home care. There is an opportunity today to be ahead of the curve and explore new possibilities – both found as well as created on your own. WOC nurses have the ability to be the catalyst in transforming their role within the HHC setting and ultimately impact the quality of care on our wound, ostomy and continence patients.

R EFER EN C ES Bliss, W. S. (2013). Effectiveness of Wound, Ostomy and Continence-Certified Nurses on Individual Patient Outcomes in Home Health Care. JWOCN, 40(2), 135-142.

Cipriano. (2014). The disappearing inpatient.

American Nurse Today, 9(1), 6.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Retrieved 2014 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ appendices.

Vesely. (2014). The Great Migration. Hospitals & Health Networks, 88(3), 22-27.

Westra, B. S. (2013). Effectiveness of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses on Agency-Level wound and Incontience Outcomes in Home Care. JWOCN, 40(1), 25-33.

Now Offering

FREE SHIPPING Visit the WOCN Bookstore at www.wocn.org/bookstore and find publications for both clinicians and patients all relating to wound, ostomy and continence issues.

WOCN SOCIETY ®

BOOKSTORE IN IT FOR YOU | ISSUE 4, FALL 2014

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PUBLIC POLICY

The Role of the WOC Nurse in Advancing Compression Therapy Options to the Next Level

BY MARY NAMETKA, MSN, RN, CWS, CWON, FNP-BC, M E M B E R , N AT I O N A L P U B L I C P O L I C Y C O M M I T T E E

H

ow many times have we, over many weeks, painstakingly applied layers of compression wrapping rejoicing with the patient as the circumferential measurements come down and painful ulcers healed? Yet, haven’t we also experienced the depressing, costly process repeat itself, as uncontrolled edema with new open areas reoccur once wraps are discontinued? Patients often can’t afford compression stockings as there is no reimbursement under Medicare. Yes, many, if not most, of us have suffered with our patients and felt the discouragement of this all too familiar cycle. And how many of us, weary with the fatigue of fighting this uphill battle, understand why this situation exists and what can be done about such a complex issue?

This past January, WOCN leadership charged our National Public Policy Committee with addressing these questions. Now, we can share the fruits of our labors and explain how you can be part of a powerful, focused action plan to work upstream and create the option for reimbursement of the compression therapy our patients need.

All of us are, in some way, policy makers. Whether setting up a budget at home or helping draft guidelines at our workplaces, each of us as a WOC nurse impacts local policies in countless ways on a regular basis. We may not feel we can be effective on some issues that seem too big to change. That’s where our National Public Policy Committee comes in, by identifying really daunting barriers to our practice and developing strategies we

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Whether setting up a budget at home or helping draft guidelines at our workplaces, each of us as a WOC nurse impacts local policies in countless ways on a regular basis.

PUBLIC POLICY

D E PA R T M E N T

all can participate in achieving a goal.

Currently, this issue is reimbursement for compression garments.

Why aren’t compression garments reimbursed? It has to do with how the rules for the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) were originally set up by Congress. It turns out that no category for compression stockings was created, making reimbursement impossible until Congress amends the rules! There’s good news, though: We identified the etiology of the problem. Now for the hard part, the solution became clear: We need Congress to change the rules!

We decided that leveraging our collective expertise with building some sort of alliance or coalition might be the most effective, if not the only viable way to move this agenda forward in the near term. By doing an Internet search, we discovered that another professional organization committed to the care of lymphedema patients was sponsoring a bill entitled The Lymphedema Act. This group already had legislators sponsoring the bill, and while their focus is lymphedema, we identified an opportunity to join their effort in support of reimbursement for effective lymphedema management as part of our broader

objective to advocate for reimbursement of compression garments to treat and reduce recurrence of venous leg ulcers and to control secondary lymphedema.

A document was drafted expressing support and offering endorsement of The Lymphedema Act, adding appropriate evidence based content more inclusive of our treatment of VLUs. The draft was submitted and, after some revision, accepted by the WOCN Board of Directors and the endorsement was sent forward. The endorsement can be found on the WOCN Society’s Advocacy and Policy home page at http://bit.ly/1p2zqA9.

We encourage review of this informational document and support of this legislation by the WOCN membership.

This is the right thing to do for our patients and as a means to control healthcare costs.

We encourage each of you to reach out to your members of Congress and express our desire as constituents, to support this legislation. You might consider working on public policy committees in your area or with the WOCN National Public Policy Committee. It’s a great feeling to be able to work upstream on those problems that may at first seem too big to change.

Be Part of Change!

Visit http://bit.ly/1rVdPAu for contact information to help you in the process of being part of change.

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F E AT U R E

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Congratulations!

WO C N S O C I E TY F O U N D AT I O N AWA RD S S C H O L A RS H I P S

T

he WOCN Society offers a scholarship program through the WOCN Society Foundation. Twice a year, 10 individuals are provided with the great privilege of receiving the scholarship award.

Scholarships are awarded to deserving individuals who are committed to working in the specialty practice of wound, ostomy or continence nursing.

Upon receiving the award, the 2014 spring scholarship recipients were asked to answer a few fundamental questions: • What does receiving the spring 2014 scholarship award mean to you?

• Why do you want to be a WOC nurse? (For those new to WOC nursing.)

• Why do you want to continue your education as a WOC nurse? (For advanced recipients, or those continuing their WOC nursing education.)

Each response demonstrates the commitment and dedication that all wound, ostomy and continence nurses possess.

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SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

F E AT U R E

Ann Marie Thompson WHAT DOES RECEIVING THE SPRING 2014 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD MEAN TO YOU? After depleting all funds attending, as a full-time student, the Master of Science in Nursing Family Health Program, this scholarship is helping me transition from student to practitioner by funding licensure, review courses and board exams. I will never be able to thank the Society adequately for this award, but I will start now: THANK YOU!

WHY DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE YOUR EDUCATION AS A WOC NURSE?

I continued my education so that I could advance to a higher level of patient care; to provide access to safe, high-quality and holistic care for patients with wounds, ostomies and incontinence; and to promote research, improve healthcare practices and increase nursing knowledge of this specialty.

Sara Archibald WHAT DOES RECEIVING THE SPRING 2014 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD MEAN TO YOU? Receiving the scholarship award has made completion of my WOC nursing program possible. Without it, I may not have been so successful.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A WOC NURSE?

The nature of wound, ostomy and continence care lends itself to developing deep, professional relationships between nurses and their patients. This is personally rewarding and improves the healing process.

Christine Parks WHAT DOES RECEIVING THE SPRING 2014 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD MEAN TO YOU? To me, this scholarship represented the support of the WOC nursing community, which pushed me forward in a difficult personal time. Knowing that this outstanding Society had faith in me and my goals gave me that bit of extra strength needed to march through and prevail.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE YOUR EDUCATION AS A WOC NURSE?

Why did I want to further my WOC nursing knowledge? I love what we do and I want more. I derive a great deal of satisfaction from working with our patient population, and I wanted to take that further. I wanted to have a larger voice in the healthcare community, to assist me in better meeting the needs of these patients. An advanced degree (MSN/FNP) will help me attain that.

Richard Schneider WHAT DOES RECEIVING THE SPRING 2014 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD MEAN TO YOU? The WOCN Advanced Scholarship will help me defray a portion of the cost of tuition in pursuing my goals and relieve some of the financial stress so I can focus on my studies. Thank you very much for your generosity in providing this scholarship.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE YOUR EDUCATION AS A WOC NURSE?

As a nurse with a clinical terminal degree, I will have achieved what it will take to best serve my patients, contribute to the nursing faculty shortage and contribute to Society’s need of more licensed independent practitioners. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) 2010 report “The Future of Nursing,” recommended that the U.S. “double the number of nurses with a doctorate by 2020.” By my dedication to complete the DNP program I will become one more nurse to contribute to this statistic and it is one of my professional goals to inspire many more to nurses to join me.

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F E AT U R E

Danielle D’Alessandro WHAT DOES RECEIVING THE SPRING 2014 SCHOLARSHIP MEAN TO YOU? It’s a real sense of accomplishment and a great validation of my decision to further my nursing education!

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A WOC NURSE?

Having been a hospice nurse for 15 years, I wanted to further expand the compassionate services I can offer patients. Now I am working as a WOC nurse at MJHS Home Care in New York City, where I get to put these skills to use every day.

Pamela Diane Squibb WHAT DOES RECEIVING THE SPRING 2014 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD MEAN TO YOU? It is an honor to be chosen by the WOCN Society for the Spring 2014 scholarship award. I have conquered many obstacles to achieve my educational goals of becoming a nurse. Continuing my education creates a financial burden on my family, and with the assistance of this scholarship I am able to lessen this burden.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A WOC NURSE?

This scholarship is a validation to my future and chosen career path as a certified WOC nurse. Being a certified WOC nurse allows me the unique opportunity to play a vital, active role in educating the community. I truly believe it takes an entire team to care for each patient. I am committed to becoming an excellent certified WOC nurse. Thank you for believing in me! I will proudly serve!

Emily Pellegrini WHAT DOES RECEIVING THE SPRING 2014 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD MEAN TO YOU? I am very thankful to be a 2014 scholarship recipient. Completing the WOC nursing program and starting a new job have been exciting, yet expensive, adventures. The scholarship not only offered a financial peace of mind but also served as a vote of confidence.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A WOC NURSE?

Most of the WOC nurses I know are hilarious, and I knew I would be in good company. I find ostomy teaching very rewarding, and I enjoy the challenges of treating complex wounds. When I was a new home health RN, I shadowed our agency’s CWOCN, Alisa. I was impressed by how much of an impact she had on her patients. I knew I wanted to provide an advanced level of care, and Alisa inspired me to continue my education. I have recently started working as an inpatient CWOCN, and I am enjoying it thoroughly.

Renee Grubbs WHAT DOES RECEIVING THE SPRING 2014 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD MEAN TO YOU? Receiving the WOCN Accredited Scholarship will help me reach my goal of becoming a WOC nurse by offsetting some of my traveling costs. I have wanted to become a WOC nurse for over 10 years, and it has seemed unattainable until now.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A WOC NURSE?

I want to be a part of advancing wound care to benefit patients in need of wound care. I am very thankful for the help that has been given to me.

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SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

F E AT U R E

Veronica Quinto WHAT DOES THE SCHOLARSHIP MEAN TO YOU?

It is a great blessing to receive the WOCN scholarship. It has helped me finance and advance my career and has given me the motivation to pursue and attain my goal.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A WOC NURSE?

I want to be a wound nurse so I can contribute to a patient’s wound management. It’s a great blessing to personally experience how my experience and knowledge can make a difference in a patient’s healing.

Therese McVey WHAT DOES THE RECEIVING THE SPRING 2014 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD MEAN TO YOU?

Receiving this scholarship has been very helpful. I paid for my program on a credit card. I am a mother of two children, work a full-time job and take care of my father, who has Alzheimer’s disease, so I am a busy person. Getting this scholarship has alleviated some financial concerns. I know I still have a lot to pay back but I am sure it is worth it and this scholarship is just one more reason to be happy that I pursued this certification. To have an organization that supports you is invaluable. Nurses helping and supporting other nurses is very important and powerful. We are many and I am proud to be in this very respected profession.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A WOC NURSE?

I have always been interested in wound care. I have been a nurse for over 30 years and always found wound care rewarding.

My father acquired a wound after I had to place him in a facility after caring for him in my home for five years. After only two months he had a stage IV wound on his heel. I asked for a wound care nurse to assess him. She was wonderful and very helpful and introduced me to the WOCN Society. From there, the rest is history! I obtained a job with that very WOC nurse and applied for the program. Now, I have my certification and love my job, and my dad’s wound healed! Thank you so much for this generous scholarship.

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F E AT U R E

FROM NOVICE INVESTIGATOR to

You Can W rite a Winning Proposal, Too!

BY HEID I H. CRO SS, RN, MSN , F N P, C WOCN

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F E AT U R E

H

ow often have we heard ostomy patients complain, “My nurse didn’t know how to change my ostomy bag?”

Discussing these issues with a group of WOC nurses at a regional conference, I decided that I wanted to apply for a grant from the Center of Clinical Investigation (CCI) of the WOCN Society to conduct a research study. I had never written a proposal for a grant nor conducted research before.

No one was more surprised than I when my proposal was accepted. I received significant help from the CCI, with helpful comments from the reviewers as to how to modify my proposal to make it acceptable.

Full of self-doubt, the encouraging words of Donna Bliss carried me through, who then assigned me Joyce Pittman as a mentor.

My research questions became: 1. What is the self-perceived confidence level of staff nurses related to care of ostomy patients in terms of knowledge, skills and supplies?

2. What are the potential barriers (related to attitudes, beliefs and work conditions) that staff nurses face when caring for ostomy patients?

A 17-question survey was devised, with 576 nurses completing the survey.

This was distributed via email to nurses in three neighboring acute care hospitals, and included questions regarding demographics, availability of an ostomy nurse, ostomy care training in school and frequency of care of ostomy patients. There were 22 Agree-Disagree statements using a six-point Likert Scale (1=strongly disagree, 6=strongly agree) related to confidence in ostomy care and perceived barriers.

Thanks to financial support from the CCI, all respondents were entered into a raffle for gift certificates at a local mall, and were provided coffee coupons. Funding

was provided for research statisticians to analyze the data.

Highest confidence was expressed regarding emptying a pouch (Mean 5.32 on the six-point Likert Scale, SD 0.919). Lowest confidence was regarding knowledge of nutrition (Mean 3.96, SD 1.217). Cronbach’s Alpha was 0.91 for knowledge, 0.94 for skills, indicating within-group consistency for each construct. Higher confidence in ostomy care knowledge and skills was found to be associated with being an LPN, years of nursing experience, having ostomy training, frequency of providing ostomy care and knowing how to obtain and use ostomy supplies. Disappointingly, Cronbach’s Alpha was 0.46 for the belief group of questions and 0.58 for the work conditions group, indicating weak consistency within these constructs.

Repeatedly, nurses expressed frustrations with ostomy care and the need for further ostomy training. We were, however, most surprised with the answers we received in response to the question, “Is there an ostomy nurse at your facility?”

Four percent indicated “no” and 14.6 percent – roughly 1 in 5 – answered “I don’t know.”

Being a novice primary investigator certainly had its challenges. Honestly, I had not quite anticipated the attention to detail and the continual re-evaluation of the process, from writing and submitting the grant, to setting up the study, to actually conducting it, to writing up the results and finalizing submission. I learned so much along the way that will guide me WHEN (not IF) I conduct my next research study. You need to pay attention to details and read and reread the criteria for the grant. Throughout, don’t be afraid to ask questions and look to the experts for help when needed. Take good notes and keep a timeline of conversations, questions and deadlines. Most important, keep your eye

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and look to the experts for help when needed. Take good notes and keep a timeline of conversations, questions and deadlines. Most importantly, keep your eye on the goal and don’t allow the frustrations that inevitably come your way derail you. on the goal and don’t allow the frustrations that inevitably come your way derail you.

Research is intimidating to nurses. With the paucity of research related to wound, ostomy and continence nursing, we need to step forward and take ownership of our practice and not be afraid to do so.

Professionally, I felt much more engaged by taking what seemed a simple question, and endeavoring to get an answer. At my institution we have implemented some of the action points that we enumerated as part of the study. I hope that in at least a small way I have advanced the science and practice of wound, ostomy and continence nursing.

It was a thrill presenting the results of this study at the WOCN Society’s annual conference the following June. I tried to emphasize that, “I can do it, so can you,” and was particularly pleased with multiple participants’ comments such as the one who stated that she was “fired up to attempt research myself.” Without the help and encouragement of Donna Bliss and Joyce Pittman this would not have been possible for me. I am grateful to the CCI for providing this opportunity, and sincerely hope that my experience will encourage others to do likewise.

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CORPORATE MEMBER NEWS

ALLIQUA BIOMEDICAL

DERMA SCIENCES

B. BRAUN

EDGEPARK MEDICAL SUPPLIES

COLOPLAST

JOERNS HEALTHCARE

CONVATEC

LINET AMERICAS

COSTA MEDICAL

POSEY

Alliqua Biomedical is pleased to announce it recently acquired Choice Therapeutics’ TheraBond® 3D Antimicrobial Barrier Systems technology products as a complementary addition to a growing suite of proven advanced wound care technologies including SilverSeal®, Hydress®, sorbion’s sachet S and sana gentle and Biovance®.

B. Braun Medical Inc. has established a new distribution agreement with Acelity (formerly Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (KCI)) to be an exclusive provider of Prontosan® Wound Irrigation Solution for use with the V.A.C. VeraFlo™ Instillation Therapy in the United States.

The 1000mL bottles will now be available with built-in hangers and cap adaptors to facilitate quick and simple attachment to the V.A.C. Ulta™ Therapy System.

Coloplast continually strives to make life easier for people with an ostomy. In 2014 we launched a truly innovative product, SenSura Mio. With its elastic barrier, neutral gray textile and full-circle filter, SenSura Mio allows users to get beyond feeling like a patient, and start to live life normally again.

ConvaTec launched three new ostomy products, bringing the clinically proven skin and leak protection of Moldable Technology™ to more people with an ostomy. Now available: the first-ever onepiece pouch with Moldable Technology, the Natura® Accordion Flange for easier two-piece pouch application and the Natura®+ urostomy pouch with a soft tap.

Reaching beyond borders, Costa Medical has collaborated with Helping Hands Medical Supplies to distribute Aqua Seal and their other products in Canada and the Caribbean. President and ostomate Suzanne Podolski also attended the International Wound Care Conference in England and will implement new techniques in wound care with their customers.

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IN IT FOR YOU | ISSUE 4, FALL 2014

Derma Sciences is a tissue regeneration company focused in advanced wound care. The continued growth of our novel portfolio of products and our commitment to advancing the science of wound care the industry led to the development and launch of our new corporate branding emphasizing leadership in tissue regeneration and wound healing.

Edgepark has partnered with UroMed to sponsor LASCI (Life After Spinal Cord Injury), a nonprofit program that operates the world’s largest online SCI peer support group, www.facebook.com/LASCIonline. Since 2010, over 35,000 people have joined the LASCI Facebook Group to share inspirational photos and stories, educational articles and awareness/fundraising events.

Joerns Healthcare, LLC, and RecoverCare, LLC, have completed a merger-of-equals transaction between the two companies. The merger will create a leading healthcare equipment provider across the full continuum of care by offering a full suite of products and services through one of the most comprehensive distribution networks in the nation.

LINET is an international leader in healthcare technology with patient beds installed in over 100 countries. In the U.S. market, LINET launched a complete portfolio of surfaces used to aid in the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers, which includes integrated air with microclimate management, hybrid and foam mattress lines.

Posey has introduced PoseyPartners™: The S.A.F.E. Approach to Falls Management, an integrated partnership program providing clinicians with innovative products, tools, and education resources they need to minimize fall rates, reduce costs and assist compliance.

Contact your Posey representative about the S.A.F.E. Approach™ for an assessment of your falls management program.

D E PA R T M E N T

CORPORATE MEMBER NEWS

SAGE PRODUCT S LLC

Sage Products LLC has teamed up with the WOCN Society to form Partners in Prevention. The program provides WOC nurses with educational opportunities to support the prevention of pressure ulcers. This program includes a three-part webinar series, as well as a symposium held at this year’s Annual Conference featuring Barbara Braden, a poster presenter.

SMITH & NEPHEW

Recognizing innovation has no borders; Smith & Nephew has advanced wound care for over 150 years. Input from wound care experts guided our innovations like ALLEVYN* Life Dressings and the pocket-sized, canister-free negative pressure wound therapy system, PICO*. Together we help reduce both the human and the economic cost of wounds.

STEADMED

We provide medical and prescriptive devices to optimize wound bed preparation and autologous wound closure.

Our portfolio is made up of leading and innovative brands, such as Drawtex® Hydroconductive Wound Dressing with LevaFiber™ Technology, Elta® Products, Vashe® Wound Therapy Solution and Xpans

STRYKER MEDICAL

Stryker releases Isolibrium, a powered support surface designed to assist in the prevention and treatment of all pressure ulcers and isolate pressure redistribution through its exclusive air pod technology. For more information about Isolibrium as well the Stryker Pressure Ulcer Prevention program, visit the NEW Stryker Patient Care website at www.patientcare.stryker.com.

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D E PA R T M E N T

CONFERENCE AW A R D S

WOCN Soci ety’s 46th Annual Conference Awardees CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WOC PROFESSIONALS WHO WERE AWARDED AT THIS YEAR’S ANNUAL CONFERENCE! OUTGOING COUNCIL MEMBER RECOGNITION

Carole Bauer,MSN,RN,ANP-BC,OCN,CWOCN Sonya Clark, BSN, RN, CWOCN Elliott Douglass, BSN, RN, CWOCN Regina Holmes, MSN, FNP-BC, CWOCN Frances Schuda, MSN, RN, CWOCN, NHA Shirley Sheppard, RN, MSN, CWOCN Margaret Willson, MSN, RN, CWOCN Diane Zeek, MS, RN, APN, NP-C, CWOCN

WOCN PRESIDENT’S RECOGNITION AWARD

Dorothy Doughty, MN, RN, FNP, CWOCN, FAAN

WOCN PRESIDENT’S SERVICE AWARD

Kathleen Lawrence, MSN, RN, CWOCN

3M SAFE SKIN AWARD

Lourdes Specialty Hospital (LSH) Dr. Gregory Mukalian, DO, FAOS Susan Lendacky, BSN, RN, CWCN Cynthia Malin, MSN, RN, APNC, CWS Patricia Bozzi, BSN, RN

GREAT COMEBACK’S NURSE OF THE YEAR Tina Nardi, ET

UOAA WOC NURSE OF THE YEAR Julie Powell, BSN, CWOCN

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JWOCN MANUSCRIPT AWARDS Clinical: Surviving Colorectal Cancer: Long-term, Persistent Ostomy-Specific Concerns and Adaptations Virginia Sun, RN, PhD Marcia Grant, RN, PhD, FAAN Carmit K. McMullen, PhD Andrea Altschuler, PhD M. Jane Mohler, NP-C, MSN, MPH, PhD Mark C. Hornbrook, PhD Lisa J. Herrinton, PhD Carol M. Baldwin,PhD,RN,CHTP,AHN-BC,FAAN Robert S. Krouse, MD, FACS Research: Staging and Defining Characteristics of Pressure Ulcers Using Photographs by Staff Nurses in Acute Care Settings Elizabeth C. Jesada, MS, CRNP, CWON Joan I. Warren, PhD, RN-BC, NEA-BC Dorothy Goodman, BSN, RN, CWOCN Ruth W. Iliuta, MS, RN, CNS-BC, CWON Gail Thurkauf, MS, RN Maureen K. McLaughlin, PhD, RN Joyce E. Johnson, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN Larry Strassner, PhD, RN, NEA-BC

WOCNCB EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR

Carol Y. Jones, BSN, RN, CWOCN of the VNA Care Network & Hospice of Danvers, Massachusetts