Author Archive

Traumatic Open Wounds: Let’s Define the Types

Wednesday, December 25th, 2019

Learn the difference between the types of open wounds caused by trauma.

Open wound types include abrasions, excoriation, skin tears, avulsions, lacerations and punctures, according to our Skin and Wound Management course workbook.

Traumatic open wounds involve a disruption in the integrity of the skin and underlying tissues caused by mechanical forces. In other words, these wounds are caused by brief but forceful contact with another object or surface.

Differentiating the types of traumatic open wounds involves noting the shape and depth, as well as the nature of the mechanical force that caused it.

Below, we outline six acute, traumatic open wounds that are commonly confused.

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What Happens When Orders Don’t Meet Wound Care Standards

Wednesday, September 11th, 2019

Does your ordering clinician’s wound care knowledge rest on outdated education and assumptions?

A wound care certified physician says his peers often ignore the scientific evidence on effective treatments that form wound care standards.

This is problematic because success in wound care requires understanding basic principles and evidence.

With this in mind, we developed our multi-disciplinary course in Skin and Wound Management to build the ranks of competent, certified specialists.

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Learn Tips for Proper Colostomy Irrigation

Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019

Wild on Wounds speaker Anita Prinz, RN, MSN, CWOCN, shared pointers in September at our national conference on colostomy irrigation as a life-changing ostomy management alternative to pouching.

One of the most important and rewarding aspects of working with ostomy patients is helping them adapt to life with a stoma.

A supportive and caring healthcare provider can make all the difference, educating patients on the best ostomy management practices for their schedule and lifestyle.

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How to Persuade Clinicians to Change a Wound Care Order

Tuesday, July 9th, 2019

How can you convince an ordering clinician to consider a more effective wound treatment? Psychology offers some clues.

By Keisha Smith, MA, CWCMS

If you’re a knowledgeable, certified wound care clinician, receiving an outdated or illogical wound care order can be frustrating.

So, what can you do when you’re tasked with administering treatments you believe will be ineffective or harmful to a patient?

First, practicing substandard wound care can land you in legal hot water, even if you are following orders.

To protect your license, reputation and financial well-being, you need to speak up about wound care orders that contradict your knowledge and training.

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Instructor Named 2019 WOC Nurse of the Year for Ostomy Care

Tuesday, June 25th, 2019

On June 23, alumni of the Wound Care Education Institute (WCEI) cheered to see a dedicated clinician, teacher and nursing entrepreneur receive recognition for her commitment to ostomy care and education.

The United Ostomy Association of America named WCEI Clinical Instructor Joy Hooper, RN, BSN, CWOCN, OMS, WCC, its WOC Nurse of the Year.

The prestigious award shines a spotlight on the many ways Hooper has touched lives with her commitment to teaching ostomy care.

“My father has always taught us the importance of helping people, and one of the most important people to help is the one you’re not expecting a thank you from or expecting anybody to know about,” Hooper said. “That is someone who you want to help. You won’t see this immediate reward, but you will be rewarded. UOAA and helping people have always been close to my heart.”

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Home Health Nurse Shares Wound Care Certification Journey

Wednesday, April 10th, 2019

What does it mean to be a leader in wound care? It’s about being a credible resource for care decisions based on the evidence, which wound care certification achieves.

It’s about focusing on what you can do, big or small, to make things better for your patients, team and organization.

Every day, thousands of our Wound Care Education Institute (WCEI) alumni lead in this way with wound care certification.

If you participate in our alumni-only Facebook Group called “Wound Care Rocks,” you might recognize Trisha Dubois, RN, WCC, OMS, as a clinician who demonstrates those leadership qualities. She’s eager to learn from other certified clinicians in our group.

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Case Studies Confirm Effectiveness of Honey for Wound Care

Thursday, March 21st, 2019

When durable medical equipment Manuka honey isn’t available to treat a chronic wound, can over-the-counter (OTC) honey products serve as an effective substitute? Poster presenters from the 2018 Wild On Wounds national conference looked for evidence in two case studies.

Despite rapid developments in new wound care technology, clinicians are turning to an ancient approach to speed healing and control bioburden: honey.

As early as 3,000 BC, Egyptians and other civilizations relied on honey as a topical wound treatment. With the discovery of antibiotics, however, honey quickly fell out of favor.

As antibiotic resistance drives the search for alternatives today, therapeutic honey enjoys renewed attention from researchers.

Is Manuka honey the only effective option?

Most of the studies on medicinal honey focus on durable medical equipment products, which typically contain honey extracted from the nectar of a Manuka tree.

Based on the evidence, medical-grade Manuka honey has gained esteem among wound care professionals for its increased antimicrobial action compared to other types of honey. Studies also suggest medical-grade Manuka honey contains compounds that jump-start stalled wounds, reduce odor and accelerate healing.

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Ostomy Minute: How to Get a Good Seal Without Skin Residue

Friday, March 30th, 2018

How can you create a good seal under the skin barrier of an ostomy appliance without leaving residue on the skin? In this one-minute video, WCEI Instructor Joy Hooper, RN, BSN, CWOCN, OMS, WCC discusses new products you should explore.

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Wound Temperature and Healing

Friday, February 23rd, 2018

You’ve probably heard that it’s important to keep wounds moist and warm, But what’s the optimal temperature for healing a wound, and how do you maintain it? Read on for details.

When moisture evaporates from a surface, the surface cools. Sweat operates by this principle. So, unfortunately, do wounds. Whenever a wound loses moisture, the tissues of the wound drop in temperature.

The cells and enzymes of the body function best at normal temperature, around 37° C (98.6° F).  When wound temperature decreases by as little as 2° C, healing can slow or even cease. In short, when the temperature drops, the healing stops.

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Ostomy Minute: Is Ostomy Paste an Adhesive?

Sunday, February 18th, 2018

When you need extra adhesion under a skin barrier, is ostomy paste the way to go? WCEI instructor Joy Hooper sets the story straight in this short video.

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