There is a plethora of compression bandage systems, compression devices and garments available. Optimizing the selection of a specific compression textile, followed by successful utilization is the more challenging task that clinicians face daily, particularly with more complex presentations. Attendees will learn about compression textiles available, tips for matching patient presentation to a specific compression type, and practical application suggestions will be demonstrated for specific compression garments.

Supported by Medela LLC

Health care clinicians like nurses are socialized to give hiqh quality care to their patients but not necessarily about the need to invest in themselves. This session will explore the crucial nature of personal empowerment in promoting a healthy life and catalyzing professional empowerment as well. Success in personal and professional empowerment is really about hard work, strategic choices, and healthy persistence. Attendees will be able to ask questions about personal challenges and opportunities.

Supported by Coloplast Corp.

An assessment is the foundation that can direct you to the best solution for your ostomy patients. For many clinicians, this is a natural practice... but how does one address those unique body profiles and stoma characteristics in clinical practice? What if you could sharpen your approach to that assessment and further define the right solution? In this session you will hear from a panel of experts sharing thoughts on specific case studies, a systematic approach to assessment, and share best practice options for this unique patient population.

Supported by ConvaTec Inc.

Venous leg ulcers are debilitating, hard to heal wounds that can profoundly affect the patients’ physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing. These wounds have a high recurrence rate and are associated with pain, wound odor, and high levels of exudate and bioburden, with a large percentage becoming chronic. Current therapeutic approaches are multifaceted and focus on improved symptom management and wound healing, including compression therapy and advanced wound care.

A significant volume of research has focused on describing the epidemiology of peristomal skin complications (PSCs) but little research has focused on characteristics and determinants of healthy peristomal skin. This session will identify clinical evidence guiding the concept of peristomal skin health; intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting peristomal skin health; and gaps in evidence, which required the generation and validation of consensus-based best practice statements to maintain healthy peristomal skin.

"Of all forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane”
- Martin Luther King Jr., 1966

PAD is a circulatory deficiency that is prevalent among the aging U.S. population, with an estimated 21 million Americans predicted to have the disease by 2020 (1). If left untreated, PAD can lead to amputation. Up to 3.5 million people are currently affected with Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI) (2). Each year more than 160,000 amputations are performed in the USA a a result of (untreated) PAD (3). 54% of patients who underwent an amputation were not assesses via diagnostic angiogram (4).

The probability of major amputation depends on: who you are and where you live, your race/ethnicity/age/sex, and SES, hospital vascular rx volume. Medicare/Medicaid recipients make up the majority of those undergoing amputations. The economic burden of PAD / CLI exceeds diabetes and all cancers.

Education and health literacy are social determinants of health affecting mortality, morbidity, life expectancy, health care expenditures, health status and functional limitations. Our goal should be to avoid amputation as a first-line treatment for CLI patients. To accomplish this, we need increased PAD awareness, a multidisciplinary approach, no amputations without arterial testing and screening for at-risk patients.

This session will discuss the science behind immunotherapy as part of cancer treatment. Classes of immunotherapy will be presented. Adverse effects of immunotherapy and current management of these adverse effects will be introduced,

Nurses are commonly challenged with subtle and overt competent patient refusal of nursing care, including nursing procedures. Despite clear guidance and requirement of informed consent for medical procedures, there is lack of direction and training to guide response when met with resistance for nursing care. An integrative review of the literature from 2001-2016 identified only four articles that addressed competent patient refusal of nursing care, suggesting the need for further attention and research. A forum of nurses identified potential organizational interventions to address refusal of nursing care including: (1) development of institutional policies/guidelines that support refusal decision making, (2) implementation of a clear escalation plan, and (3) simulation training for nurses focused on negotiation skills. Review findings, recent literature, and innovation forum results will be summarized and interactively discussed with session participants.

Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection (NSTI) is a severe infection, a potentially life threatening condition that can spread rapidly, and leads to high morbidity and mortality.

NSTI’s are characterized by necrotic skin, subcutaneous fat, fascia, and/or muscle. It is imperative to survival that diagnosis is established early so that guidelines developed for operative debridement and wound care can be implemented and morbidity and mortality minimized.

This session will provide an opportunity for you to hear the latest research findings in WOC nursing. Research-based abstracts are selected by a rigorous, two-step peer review process. Clinical investigators will present their findings in a moderated session.