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Practical Issues in Wound, Skin and Ostomy Management
By Pam Bowers, RN, and Liz Ferron, MSW, LICSW
Conflict in the workplace is a fact of life, and dealing with it is never easy. Sometimes it seems easier to ignore it and hope it will take care of itself. But in healthcare organizations, that’s not a good strategy. Unresolved conflict almost always leads to poor communications, avoidance behavior, and poor working relationships—which can easily affect patient safety and quality of care. (more…)
Read MoreBy Yolanda G. Smith, MSN, RN, CCRN
Are you able to relax, have fun, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life? Or do you:
By Debra Clair, PhD, APRN, WOCN, WCC, DWC
Providing wound care requires a great deal of knowledge and skill. To become a wound care nurse entails taking classes, gaining and maintaining certifications, and acquiring on-the-job experience. But despite your education, knowledge, skills, and certifications, you may encounter problems when wound care requires you to touch the patient in a sensitive or embarrassing area. Touching the patient in these areas is called intimate touch. (more…)
Read MoreBy Debra Rose Wilson, PhD, MSN, RN, IBCLC, AHN-BC, and Dana Marie Dillard, MS, HSMI
Like many clinicians, you may experience stress frequently, both on and off the job. Chronic stress can alter your equilibrium (homeostasis), activating physiologic reactive pathways that cause your body to shift its priorities. Physiologic effects of stress may include:
By Ron Rock MSN, RN, ACNS-BC
Since its introduction almost 20 years ago, negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has become a leading technology in the care and management of acute, chronic, dehisced, traumatic wounds; pressure ulcers; diabetic ulcers; orthopedic trauma; skin flaps; and grafts. NPWT applies controlled suction to a wound using a suction pump that delivers intermittent, continuous, or variable negative pressure evenly through a wound filler (foam or gauze). Drainage tubing adheres to an occlusive transparent dressing; drainage is removed through the tubing into a collection canister. NWPT increases local vascularity and oxygenation of the wound bed and reduces edema by removing wound fluid, exudate, and bacteria. (more…)
Read MoreBy Toni Ann Loftus, MBA, RN, MHA
Meetings are a powerful communication tool. They bring together people who can look at an issue from their own unique perspective and contribute to a solution acceptable to many disciplines. Generally, meetings are held to:
• discuss common issues
• brainstorm ideas for solving specific concerns
• make collaborative decisions about a shared concern or problem. (more…)
By Beth Hoffmire Heideman, MSN, BSN, RN, WCC, DWC, OMS
Fifty shades of wound care at home refers to treating the whole patient and the patient’s caregiving supporters—not just the wound. Only by understanding the nuances, or shades, of a patient and his or her environment can clinicians best achieve desired outcomes.
Wound healing in home care depends on teamwork. Members of the team must understand the unique situation of delivering care in the home and how to help patients adhere to the plan of care. (more…)
Read MoreBy Jennifer Zinn, MSN, RN, CNS-BC, CNOR, and Vangela Swofford, BSN, RN, ASQ-CSSBB
For surgical patients, operative wound classification is crucial in predicting postoperative surgical site infections (SSIs) and associated risks. Information about a patient’s wound typically is collected by circulating registered nurses (RNs) and documented at the end of every surgical procedure. (more…)
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By Marcia Spear, DNP, ACNP-BC, CWS, CPSN
Chronic wound infections are a significant healthcare burden, contributing to increased morbidity and mortality, prolonged hospitalization, limb loss, and higher medical costs. What’s more, they pose a potential sepsis risk for patients. For wound care providers, the goal is to eliminate the infection before these consequences arise.
Most chronic wounds are colonized by polymicrobial aerobic-anaerobic microflora. However, practitioners continue to debate whether wound cultures are relevant. Typically, chronic wounds aren’t cultured unless the patient has signs and symptoms of infection, which vary depending on whether the wound is acute or chronic. (See Differentiating acute and chronic wounds.) (more…)
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By Kathleen D. Pagana, PhD, RN
Are you making connections that benefit your career? Are you comfortable starting a conversation at a networking session? Do you know how to exit a conversation gracefully when it’s time to move on?
These are questions and concerns many clinicians share. Career success takes more than clinical expertise, management savvy, and leadership skills. Networking can be the critical link to success. This article helps you improve your networking skills by focusing on what to do before, during, and after a networking opportunity. (more…)
Read MoreBy Gregory S. Kopp, RN, MN, MHA
A new job can be stimulating, but it can also be stressful. Not only will you have new responsibilities, but you’ll also have a new setting, new leaders, and new colleagues. And the quicker you can figure out who’s who and what’s what—without stepping on anyone’s toes—the better off you’ll be.
But establishing positive relationships while performing your new job well can be tricky. And early missteps can have a lasting effect on your working relationships and your effectiveness. That’s why I recommend using the four tactics below, starting on day one. (more…)
Read MoreBy Janice M. Beitz, PhD, RN, CS, CNOR, CWOCN, CRNP
Quality patient education is essential for comprehensive health care and will become reimbursable under healthcare reform in 2014. However, it’s difficult to provide effective education when time for patient interactions is limited. You can enhance your instruction time—and make your teaching more memorable—by using the techniques of analogy and metaphor. (more…)
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