Don’t go it alone

January 28, 2016February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

A fundamental rule of wound care is to treat the “whole” patient, not just the “hole” in the patient. To do this, we need to focus on a holistic

approach to healing, which means evaluating everything that’s going on with the patient—from nutrition, underlying diseases, and medications to activity level, social interactions, and even sleep patterns.

We know that as specialists, we’re expected to do all of these things. But in the real world, we can’t be specialists in all areas. That’s where the team concept comes in. In fact, the team approach is imperative for helping us heal our patients’ wounds and achieve our overall goal of improving patient outcomes. (more…)

Restorative nursing programs help prevent pressure ulcers

January 28, 2016February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

Immobility affects all our body systems, including our skin. According to the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, many contributing factors are associated with the formation of a pressure ulcer, with impaired mobility leading the list.

So what can clinicians do to prevent harm caused by immobility? One often-overlooked strategy is a restorative nursing program. (See About restorative nursing.)

Moving up the time line

Most patients who score poorly for mobility and/or activity impairments on the Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Ulcer Risk are referred to physical therapy, but too often a restorative nursing program (more…)

Clinician Resources: Ulcer Prevention, CAUTI, Negative Bacteria

January 28, 2016February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

Start the New Year off right by checking out these resources.

Pressure ulcer prevention education

Access the following education resources from Wounds International:

The webinar “Real-world solutions for pressure ulcer prevention: Optimising the role of support surfaces” includes:

• an overview of the issue of pressure ulcers

• what to consider when choosing a support surface

• how to operationalize support surfaces in the clinical setting. (more…)

Time to select a support surface

November 19, 2015February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By Donna Sardina, RN, MHA, WCC, CWCMS, DWC, OMS

Having the proper support surface for beds and wheelchairs is imperative in preventing pressure ulcers. “Pressure” ulcers are named that for a reason—pressure is the primary cause of interruption of blood flow to the tissue. Unfortunately, guidelines for support surface selection tend to make recommendations for the type of surface to use after a pressure ulcer has developed. Another factor that complicates matters is the development of deep-tissue injuries. These injuries start at the bone level, which means that often, tissue damage is extensive before we see visible signs and realize that the support surface we chose might not have been effective enough. (more…)

Cutaneous candidiasis

November 19, 2015February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By Nancy Morgan, RN, BSN, MBA, WOC, WCC, DWC, OMS

Each issue, Apple Bites brings you a tool you can apply in your daily practice. Here’s an overview of cutaneous candidiasis.

Cutaneous candidiasis is an infection of the skin caused by the yeast Candida albicans or other Candida species. Here’s a snapshot of this condition. (more…)

Seeing healthcare from a new perspective

November 19, 2015February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By: Donna Sardina, RN, MHA, WCC, CWCMS, DWC, OMS

As healthcare clinicians, our world is full of tasks to be completed. Some are new, but many are tasks we repeat every day and thus have become routine—things we could almost do in our sleep.

But what’s routine for us may not be routine for our patients. For some patients, these routine tasks of ours may be their first encounter with a healthcare situation. (more…)

Providing skin care for bariatric patients

November 19, 2015February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By Gail R. Hebert, MS, RN CWCN, DWC, WCC, OMS

How would you react if you heard a 600-lb patient was being admitted to your unit? Some healthcare professionals would feel anxious—perhaps because they’ve heard bariatric patients are challenging to care for, or they feel unprepared to provide their care. (more…)

Role of the ostomy specialist clinician in ileal pouch anal anastomosis surgery

November 19, 2015February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By Leanne Richbourg, MSN, RN, APRN-BC, CWON-AP, CCCN, GCNS-BC

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the gold standard for surgical treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). It’s also done to treat colon and rectal cancers, such as those caused by Lynch syndrome (LS). IPAA allows the patient to maintain fecal continence and evacuate stool from the anus after colon and rectum removal. A temporary ileostomy may be part of the overall process, but there’s no need for a permanent stoma. (See Understanding ulcerative colitis, FAP, and Lynch syndrome.) (more…)

Clinician Resources: falls, npuap, patient safety, civility

November 19, 2015February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

End your year by checking out these resources for your practice.

Sentinel event alert for falls

As part of its sentinel event alert “Preventing falls and fall-related injuries in health care facilities,” The Joint Commission has assembled information and multiple resources, including:

analysis of contributing factors for falls
evidence-based suggestions for improvement
Joint Commission requirements relevant to falls
links to toolkits and protocols
an infographic on preventing falls.

(more…)

Is your therapy department on board with your wound care team?

November 19, 2015February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By Cheryl Robillard, PT, WCC, CLT, DWC

Patients in your clinical practice who develop wounds should prompt a call for “all hands on deck” to manage the situation, but some personnel may be missing the boat. Physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs), and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) should be on board your wound care ship so patients can receive care they need. But unfortunately, sometimes they aren’t. (more…)

“Best of the Best” three-peat

September 17, 2015February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By: Donna Sardina, RN, MHA, WCC, CWCMS

What do the Los Angeles Lakers, Green Bay Packers, Montreal Canadiens, and New York Yankees have in common? All three have “three-peated”, meaning they have won three consecutive championships. This year, we at Wound Care Advisor, the official journal of the National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy (NAWCO), mark our own three-peat—our third annual “Best of the Best” issue. (more…)

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