On this episode of WOCTalk, we speak with Heather Lee Craven and Teresa Kelechi of the Medical University of South Carolina about the process of bringing research to life through evidence-based practice. “Bridging Our Care from Research to Bedside” was originally presented at the Southeast Region of the WOCN Society conference in the Fall of 2019. In this episode, Dr. Craven and Dr. Kelechi discuss the content from this previous presentation and walk through the steps from forming a research team or panel, holding “think tank” research discussions and goal setting to the eventual outcome of bringing your research to life through evidence-based practice. Listen in to gain knowledge, tips and tricks to get started with your own evidence-based research project.

To view a real-life example of how to apply the concepts covered in this episode, click here to view a video starring Dr. Craven, Dr. Kelechi and other members of the Medical University of South Carolina.

Speakers: Heather Lee Craven PhD, RN, CMSRN, CPHQ and Teresa Kelechi, PhD, GCNS, CWCN, FAAN

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with two certified wound, ostomy continence nurses from Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health; Lisa Kirk and Tim Luttrell. Lisa and Tim co-authored an award-winning poster presented at WOCNext 2019 in Nashville titled, “The Use of a Low-Profile Gastrostomy Device to Enhance Malone Antegrade Continence Enema (MACE) Irrigation”. This co-authored poster earned Tim and Lisa a Merit Award in the Case Study category.

A Malone Antegrade Continence Enema (MACE) is a type of surgery designed for the child with chronic bowel problems such as constipation or fecal incontinence. A tract is created into the large intestine to allow for daily irrigation of the colon to maintain continence. During this discussion, Tim and Lisa explain their nursing backgrounds, MACE procedures and the benefits of MACE irrigation, and the patient case that lead to the development of their poster. Listen in to learn more and discover the quality of life improvements MACE irrigation can provide to pediatric patients.

The abstract for this co-authored poster can be found by clicking here.

Speakers: Lisa Kirk, MSN, RN, CWOCN and Tim Luttrell, BSN, RN, CWOCN

On this episode of WOCTalk we sit down with Ekta Vohra. As a certified wound and ostomy nurse for 6 years at a large urban, academic institution, Ekta’s patients span from neonates through the geriatric population. After experiencing an increase of 257% in ostomy patient visits and 138% in wound patient visits, Ekta and the team at her facility worked to research and measure the demand they were facing and understand the costs savings associated with adding additional full-time staff to meet this demand. Through their research, understanding of workload productivity, and dedication to showcase the value of WOC nurses, they developed a proposal for additional staff and eventually increased their team by four new members. Listen in to learn more about their processes, including the research for their proposal, the on-boarding of new staff and the on-going and future projects of the department.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• The Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice, 2nd Edition provides an overview of the scope of WOC nursing practice, the standards of WOC nursing practice and professional performance that are based on the authoritative statements of the ANA (2015a) regarding the duties of all registered nurses. The standards define the responsibilities of the WOC nurse and guide professional practice and performance. Competencies are included for each standard, which provide evidence of compliance with that particular standard.
• The 2016 WOC Nursing Salary and Productivity Survey is a member benefit provided by the WOCN Society. The information contained in this report represents compensation and productivity data on the WOC nursing industry. The report is designed to allow a user to easily compare their compensation and productivity levels with their peers. If you are a member, this resource is available for free and can be found in the WOCN Document Library. If you are a non-member, this resource is available for purchase in the WOCN Society bookstore.

Speaker: Ekta Vohra, BSN, RN, CWON

The Society believes the right choice to deliver evidence-based care to individuals with non-healing wounds, ostomies, and urinary and fecal incontinence are nurses educated by WOCN Society-accredited Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Education Programs (WOCNEPs) and/or nurses who are certified through the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB).

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Kathleen McLaughlin, Chair of the WOCN Society’s Accreditation Committee to talk about the purpose and responsibilities of the committee and how it supports the Society, its members, and the greater nursing community. Listen in to learn more about accreditation and the resources available to nurses interested in WOC nursing education, precepting, certification and professional development opportunities such as volunteering.

Resources from this episode

• Accreditation Policy & Procedure Manual. This resource can be found in the Society’s Document Library.
• Click here to view WOC Nursing Education Programs (WOCNEPs) Accredited by the WOCN Society.
• Click here to view the Pathways to Becoming a WOC Nurse.

The Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB), a separate entity from the WOCN Society, provides a national certifying examination designed for entry-level into the field for graduates of accredited educational programs. Graduates of an accredited WOC nursing full scope or specialty program are eligible to become Board Certified by taking the (WOCNCB) Examination(s). For more information and to download the certification exam application form, please visit the WOCNCB’s website or call the WOCNCB National Office at (888) 496-2622.

If you need assistance finding a preceptor in your area, visit our preceptor directory.

Speaker: Kathleen McLaughlin, DNP, MSN, RN, CWOCN

In this special episode of WOCTalk we sit down with Dea Kent,President Elect for the WOCN Society, to discuss a new WOCN document titled, “Guidance for Maintaining Skin Health When Utilizing Protective Masks for Prolonged Time Intervals”.

Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), especially masks, often causes skin injuries including moisture damage, friction and pressure. The Guidance for Maintaining Skin Health When Utilizing Protective Masks for Prolonged Time Intervals document provides practical guidance to maintain skin integrity in the prolonged wear time of protective masks such as N-95 masks, surgical masks, face shields, and similar types of protective equipment. The head/face/cheek area of an individual are at highest risk. This document is the culmination of input from WOC nurses across the United States, each working to provide guidance for skin integrity issues being seen in this unprecedented time. Although it is not an evidence-based document, it does include best practices to help guide individuals towards mitigating and solving skin related issues involving PPE.

The WOCN Society does not endorse or support products or services.

Speaker: Dea Kent, DNP, RN, NP-C, CWOCN

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with three WOC nurse experts; Dr. Teresa Kelechi,Dr. Phyllis A. Bonham, and Glenda Brunette. We discuss the fourth edition of the evidence-based wound guideline titled, “Guideline for Management of Wounds in Patients with Lower-Extremity Venous Disease”.

Dr. Kelechi, Dr. Bonham and Glenda Brunette go into detail of the rigorous process it takes to plan, develop, edit, and finalize a clinical wound guideline of this nature. Each expert takes turns explaining different aspects of what’s in this guideline; recommendation for prevention and management of LEVD and venous leg ulcers (VLUs), intervention for wound management, assessment, and management of risk reduction, interventions for wound management, patient care, patient education, quality of life and much more.

Speaker: Dr. Teresa Kelechi, PhD, RN, CWCN, Dr. Phyllis A. Bonham, PhD, MSN, RN, CWOCN, DPNAP, FAAN, and Glenda Brunette, MSN, RN, CWON

On this episode of WOCTalk we welcome back Brooke Passy, Meeting Manager for the WOCN® Society. During this episode Brooke reviews key highlights and information regarding the Society’s WOCNext 2020 Reimagined, along with tips for online learning. Attendees of this reimagined event can expect to learn from experienced wound, ostomy and continence (WOC) nursing professionals, chat with over 60 exhibiting companies, and view over 100 ePosters all while boosting their nursing skills from the comfort of their home or office! Listen in to learn more and visit wocnext.org to register today.

Interested in joining us? Click here to learn more reasons to love WOCNext 2020 Reimagined. Be sure to register before 12pm ET on Friday, June 5 to gain access to live and on-demand content and an opportunity to earn 30 Contact Hours from Friday, June 5 through Sunday, June 21.

Speaker: Brooke Passy, CMP

On this special episode of WOCTalk we sit down with Alyssa Slabaugh and Nila Reimer to speak about their upcoming session on telehealth at WOCNext 2020 Reimagined titled, “Telehealth Wound Applications: Barriers, Solutions, & Future Use”. Telehealth applications are an emerging technology in a new era of telemedicine within health care systems. Although telehealth technologies, are utilized by various members of the health care team, Nurse Practitioners utilize them for a variety of patients’ issues across healthcare settings. Listen in to learn more from two of our WOCNext 2020 Reimagined speakers and for a sneak peek of this session.

Speaker: Alyssa Slabaugh NP-C, RN and Nila Reimer PhD, RN, CNE

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Kate Lawrence, the Society’s Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, and Chris Rorick, the Society’s Director of Government Relations, who serve on the Society’s National Public Policy and Advocacy Committee. Kate and Chris provide updates on the WOCN Society’s current Public Policy and Advocacy activities, new resources and changes to the Society website, and current legislations related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information on the Society’s public policy and advocacy efforts, and to contact your legislator regarding current issues, please visit our Public Policy and Advocacy page.

Speaker: Kate Lawrence, MSN, RN, CWOCN, and Chris Rorick, MPH

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Martina Mueller and Teresa Kelechi, Deputy Editor of the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence (JWOCN). Currently, both Martina and Teresa work at the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing and have worked together for about 14 years. Martina and Teresa discuss important changes, specifically regarding reporting the p-value when reporting quantitative research, in the JWOCN and other journals.

In the past, reporting a null p-value would affect if a study was published or not. Statisticians are now telling authors to not only rely on the p-value as a measure of importance, but to also report the effect size and the confidence interval. Martina and Teresa encourage authors to review the author guidelines of the journal they are submitting to and pay attention to how they are submitting their data, because several journals, including the JWOCN, are changing their guidelines.

To learn more about the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing (JWOCN), the official journal of the WOCN Society, click here.

Speakers: Martina Mueller, PhD, and Teresa Kelechi, PhD, GCNS, CWCN, FAAN