Wound Care Education Institute Blog

Research Study Reveals Nurses’ Importance in Stoma Care

A 2017 qualitative research study reveals some essential legal implications for nurses who provide stoma care.

The study was conducted by nurses and nurse faculty in Spain at two university hospitals and one public hospital in Spain. Twenty-one adult ostomy patients were asked for their insights before and after their ostomy surgery.

Fourteen of the patients had a gastrointestinal stoma due to cancer, six due to inflammatory bowel disease, and one due to familial polyposis. About 48% of the sample had an ileostomy and 52% had a colostomy. More than half (62%) had a permanent stoma, while 38% had a temporary stoma.

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Make Sure the Cost of Wound Care Makes Sense for Everyone

Most of us are familiar with the saying “you get what you pay for.” And when it comes to the cost of wound care products, there is definitely truth to that.

However, when considering the overall treatment plan, spending more doesn’t always equate to best practice or best results.

Cost-effective wound care means providing the most successful treatment to heal the wound at the least amount of cost. And with annual treatment costs of wound care in the billions in the U.S. alone, there’s plenty of reason to be cost conscious when choosing treatment strategies. Let’s take a look at some of the basic concepts behind this approach.

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From Transparent Dressings to Hydrogels, Wound Care Dressings You Use Every Day

Doctors treating girl's leg with bandages

As wound care professionals, wound care dressings are an important tool.

Keeping up to date on the types of wound care dressings available to treat patients in our care is our duty.

Wound care dressings come in various shapes, sizes and have indications for their use.

Professionals who treat wounds must remain aware of the types of wound care dressings they can use, as well as their contraindications. Here’s a list.

Transparent Film Dressings

Transparent wound care dressings are thin, transparent sheets of polyurethane coated with an adhesive and are available in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are semi-permeable, allowing the one-way passage of oxygen and moisture vapor, but are waterproof and impermeable to bacteria.

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Fungal Wound Infections: Identification, Treatment, and More

Some clinicians generally think of bacteria as the sole pathogen for chronic wounds.

But another culprit to consider when dealing with delayed wound healing is the presence of fungi that lead to fungal wound infection.

Romney Humphries, Ph.D., ABMM, professor and medical director of clinical microbiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, shared her expertise on fungal wounds.

“Wound infections caused by fungi occur when wounds are contaminated with spores,” Humphries said.

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State Practice Act Liability Affects All Members of Wound Care Team

Potential liability under your state practice act is something to always be aware of.

If you face an alleged violation of your practice act, professional disciplinary action can be initiated by the applicable board that administers and enforces the act.

Disciplinary actions are determined by each professional board such as the board of medicine, board of physical therapy, occupational therapy board, or board of nursing.

Professional disciplinary decisions are public records, and most state boards provide online access to them.

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Primary Skin Cancer: Types of Wounds You Might Encounter

No matter your practice environment, you’ll likely encounter patients with wounds related to primary skin cancer at some point.

To learn more about primary skin cancer wounds, we spoke with Joni Brinker, MSN/MHA, RN, WCC, an Ohio-based consultant and clinical nurse educator with Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services of Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

She also spoke during a session at our Wild on Wounds (WOW) national conference, for an overview of the need-to-know fundamentals.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in humans, Brinker said. “Generally, skin cancers are seen in older patients, so if you’re working with the elderly such as in long-term care, you’ll likely see skin cancers.”

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Legal Case Highlights Importance of Wound Care Documentation

We have discussed the importance of nurse expert testimony in cases alleging professional negligence against you.

One blog addressed a breach of your standard of care when providing wound care.

A second reviewed the importance of your wound care documentation in the patient’s medical record.

This article takes a look at the 2016 case, Henson v. Grenada Lake Medical Center, to underscore both of these important points.

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Hospice Wound Care: 3 Strategies for Better Patient Outcomes

Providing wound care for hospice patients is an important aspect of delivering comprehensive, end-of-life care.

While some hospice services have wound care specialists on staff or access to on-call, contracted wound care services, others do not.

Hospice providers without wound experts on staff often try to manage patients’ wounds on their own, said Joni Brinker, MSN/MHA, RN, WCC.

Brinker is an Ohio-based consultant and clinical nurse educator with Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services of Eden Prairie, Minn.

They only summon a wound care specialist if a problem develops, she added.

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Non-Weightbearing vs. Offloading: Is There a Difference?

Have you ever been confused about the difference between non-weightbearing and offloading?

These wound care terms are often used when referring to the treatment of diabetic and neuropathic ulcers and pressure injuries.

Both can be critical in the successful healing of either type of wound. However, they are not the same thing.

Let’s begin with defining the terms.

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Wound Healing Research: The Need for Grants Is Widespread

If you’re a wound care clinician, you’re well-aware more research is needed on wound care and wound healing.

Locating evidence-based findings on wound healing from literature can be a difficult undertaking.

There is a great need for more research and evidence regarding wound healing not only because of its scarcity, but also because of the pervasiveness and cost of chronic wounds.

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