Evidence concerning the epidemiology of ostomy surgery performed in the United States is lacking, leading to speculations about current trends in ostomy surgery without foundational evidence needed to support ostomy care during the initial hospital course and postoperative care during the first 30 days following stoma surgery. Recently, an analysis of data from the PINC AI Healthcare Database was published in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy & Continence Nursing. This large database stores de-identified data from 25% of all hospital admissions in the US and this article analyzed data from 27,658 adult patients cared for in 658 acute care facilities across the US. This presentation will briefly summarize major findings from this landmark article, followed by an in-depth and lively discussion and analysis of implications for ostomy nursing practice, research and public policies.

Pressure injuries are a serious health care problem and threaten the health and well-being of millions of people. Most pressure injuries are avoidable with the application of standard practices and proper utilization of existing technology. Support surface technology has been shown to prevent pressure injuries, but the effectiveness of specific features designed for management of tissue loads, microclimate (i.e., heat and moisture), and/or other therapeutic functions are unknown.

Preclinical research has demonstrated that heat and moisture are important pressure injury risk factors. Some support surfaces include a feature designed to manage the heat and moisture at the interface between the person and the surface using active airflow (sometimes referred to as a low air loss feature).

Clinical research has produced evidence to support the use of reactive support surfaces with good immersion and envelopment characteristics, but there is a gap in evidence regarding the effectiveness of microclimate management features.

This randomized clinical trial aimed to first determine if low air loss is effective for preventing pressure injuries. Second, to facilitate translation of the results to clinical practice, the study is designed to identify which low air loss performance characteristics and what levels of those performance characteristics are necessary for the technology to be effective.

This session will provide a brief overview of the 4 elements that must be proven in a case of malpractice which include: duty, breach of duty, damage, and cause. The session will progress with a robust discussion and application of these 4 elements as applied to specific WOC Nurse standard of care, through a de-identified case series design. The session will explore how the WOC Nurse is uniquely qualified to provide a comprehensive, structured assessment, analysis, evaluation and explanation of care documented in the medical record.

The homeless population have many barriers to accessing the healthcare system. These barriers affect their ability to follow traditional wound care pathways. This session will discuss the different barriers that this population faces and how clinicians can provide wound care in this setting for optimal outcomes.

Supported by 3M Health Care

• Exploring the application of Collagen Matrix with Oxidized Regenerated Cellulose (ORC) and Silver under Negative Pressure Wound Therapy
• Review the mechanisms of action for Negative Pressure Wound Therapy and an innovative Hybrid-Acrylic Drape Technology
• Strategies for protecting the skin and wound bed preparation from the clinical experts
• Discuss the safe and effective use of compression therapy for venous leg ulcers
• Participate in a question-and-answer session

Please note, there are no CE credits available for this session.

The speaker will discuss the value of recertification through the Professional Growth Program (PGP) for both the applicant and their employer. The attendee will be "walked through" the online application process, explore all the available categories for earning PGP points, and discuss proposed revisions, processes, and PGP resources.

Collaboration between WOC Nurses and Senior Director Outpatient Clinical Operations and Data Analytics led to the development of a new infrastructure and methodology for Hospital Acquired Pressure Injury (HAPI) data collection, reporting, and summarizing trends. This strategy continues to guide and set accountability measures and action planning to reduce HAPI trends throughout the 2 campuses of an Academic Medical Center. HAPIs, especially Stage 3 and above, can be considered Never Events and have detrimental consequences on hospitals by increasing the cost of non-reimbursable care (i.e., more labor, more tests, higher length of stay, more complications, more surgical time), as well as ensue pay-for-performance penalties and negatively impact public report for quality outcomes. It is important to understand baseline HAPI volumes, with specificity to where they originate, how they progress during a patient’s hospital stay, and patient demographics. WOC Nurses can more easily coordinate HAPI prevention tactics with inpatient nursing and providers to reduce HAPIs if they create actionable goals around trends observed in HAPI analytics. Quality improvement is the foundation to identify gaps in practice and implementing small change using the PDSA cycle to close those gaps or pivot to another methodology. Quality improvement project effectiveness is measured with data to identify gaps in practice and effectiveness of intervention. Integrity of data is critical for accurate measurement of outcomes.

Find out about the significant advances to manage urinary incontinence in the acute and critical care areas for both male and female anatomy. Decreasing indwelling urinary catheters, diverting urine into a canister and prevention of incontinence associated urinary dermatitis.

There is often more to managing a difficult stomas than meets the eye of an ostomy nurse. As an ostomy nurse, we always anticipate the physical changes that every patient and stoma go through in the post-operative period, but are we prepared to support the whole patient through their journey? Join us as we walk through one patient’s experience and learn the circumstances that surrounded her difficult stoma.

A burn is defined as damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by heat, chemical or electricity. Each year in the United States more than 480,000 people receive medical attention for burn injuries and worldwide nearly 11 million receive care. Effective wound healing treatments are vital components of early burn care that aim to alleviate the physical and psychosocial challenges patients experience following a burn injury. Goals of modern burn care now focus on efficient wound healing whilst optimizing functional and aesthetic outcomes. Being able to appropriately assess and put into place an appropriate treatment plan is critical as burn assessment is slightly different than a wound assessment.