IN THIS ISSUE OF JWOCN
This issue of the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN) contains cutting-edge articles in all areas of WOC and Foot & Nail care specialty practice, from topical wound therapies to larval therapy for wound debridement to care of a new ostomy and management of community-dwelling patients with a long-term suprapubic catheter. Each of these articles drills down to a specific area in our rich and diverse community of care providers, while the collective issue reflects the scope of essential and often underrecognized conditions we care for on a daily basis. I encourage you to read those articles and features that impact your daily practice, followed by a careful review of those articles that focus on issues or conditions you manage or encounter less frequently.
This issue's Ostomy Care section focuses on 2 interventions designed to meet educational needs and provide psychosocial support to patients with an ostomy. Irene Kato and Lee Anne Siegmund describe the experiences with a novel inpatient ostomy education class. In addition, Begona Martin-Munoz, Ana Montesinos-Galvez, Antonia Yolanda Crespillo-Diaz, and Francisco Jodar-Sanchez describe outcomes of an ostomy visitor program for patients with a new fecal ostomy. In each of these lucid articles, the authors point out multiple strengths of these simple but profound interventions, including provision of psychosocial support, and the strength of pairing patients with a new ostomy to those who have lived with an ostomy for years. You will want to read to both articles and determine whether one or both of these approaches may enhance ostomy care in your setting.
This issue's Continence Care section describes the development of best practice guidelines for patients living with a long-term suprapubic catheter in a timely article authored by Alyson Sweeney. In addition to the article that describes the process of developing the guideline, you will want to download and apply best practices from the guideline itself, which is permanently attached to this must-read article as Supplemental Digital Content.
This issue's Challenges in Practice section describes an important case of a child with indolent wounds colonized with multidrug-resistant organisms successfully managed with larval debridement. Authored by Gemma Perez-Acevedo, Alejandro Bosch-Alcaraz, and Joan Enric Torra-Bou, this eloquent case study reminds us of the importance of this sometimes neglected but important alternative for promoting wound healing, particularly in wounds complicated by bioburden from multiple pathogens.
This issue's Wound Care section opens with the latest Technologic Analysis feature article from Section Editor Carolyn Crumley. This substantial and must-read article reviews the technologies behind the myriad of topical therapies that incorporate ionic silver for its antiseptic effects on a variety of pathogens prevalent in chronic wounds.
Chris Moir, Peta Taylor, Philippa Seaton, and Helen Snell evaluated barriers and facilitators to a nurse link role for pressure injury prevention in New Zealand. The nurse link role, analogous to the unit champion role in North America, is increasingly essential for enhancing the scope and impact of your practice, and this article is a must read for all WOC nurses charged with pressure injury prevention in any care setting.
Josephine Lovegrove, Paul Fulbrook, and Sandra Miles report on their study that evaluated the efficacy of sacral foam dressings on prevention of pressure injuries in an acute care facility. This study adds to the small but growing body of evidence supporting the use of this intervention as part of a comprehensive pressure injury program for high-risk and vulnerable patients. Your Wound Care section closes with an update of one of the earliest and most important algorithms in the WOCN Society's growing library of clinical decision-making support tools. Authored by Catherine Ratliff, Stephanie Yates, Laurie McNichol, and I, this article and its associated algorithm go further than simply updating the original algorithm; it also adds significant new guidance related to assessment, prevention, and management of lower extremity lymphedema, an essential indication for compression not explored in the original algorithm.
This issue's Foot and Nail Care section also addresses the management of lower extremity venous disease. Teresa Kelechi, Martina Mueller, Mohan Madisetti, and Margaret Prentice report findings from a randomized controlled trial that evaluated the effects of a self-administered cooling intervention on pain and physical activity in patients with recently healed venous leg ulcers. Given the substantial risk of recurrent ulceration in this vulnerable patient population, you will definitely want to read this lucid article describing the potential for this simple but elegant intervention for alleviation of symptoms and prevention of recurrent venous ulcers.
This issue's Getting Ready for Certification feature, authored by Sarah Erslev and Holly Hovan, provides insights and practice questions related to assessment of health-related quality of life in patients with fecal or urinary incontinence. Finally, this issue contains a provocative and persuasive "View From Here" guest commentary from Catherine Ratliff, who describes her experiences with a patient who sought an alternative to surgical management of neurogenic bowel disease. The commentary and insights provided by Dr Ratliff are a powerful expansion of the sound arguments raised by Col and Haugen1 in their article from the March/April issue that focuses on the role of the WOC nurse in shared decision-making.
Because of the ongoing paper shortage, I decided to temporarily suspend my tradition of publishing a world map with each Context for Practice Editorial identifying the geographic locations of the authors publishing in JWOCN. Regrettably, this break needs to be honored a bit longer until global supply chains are less disturbed by the pandemic and other global events. I am pleased to report that this issue of JWOCN publishes the scholarly work of authors from Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and the United States. I am equally excited to announce the first publication of a special print edition of JWOCN in China; this special edition has been curated and carefully translated into the standard Chinese language by a special Editorial Board. We are truly a global community as celebrated in this year's WOCNext/WCET Global Educational Event, and JWOCN is pleased to serve as the preferred publication colleagues from across the globe!
1. Col NF, Haugen V. Shared decision-making and short-course radiotherapy for operable rectal adenocarcinoma. J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs. 2022;49(2):180-183. [Context Link]
WOCN Society President's Message
What a fantastic gathering in Fort Worth, Texas! This year, 2022, WOCNext was a significant event. While we have had livestreaming offered before, and certainly we have been virtual before, this year was our first intentionally hybrid event. We had both in-person attendees and online attendees for the conference sessions. This certainly provided opportunities for those who could not attend in person to still have a "live" experience. Sessions are also available on our continuing education Web site, but I am so proud of this hybrid conference. Because we jointly hosted this year's conference with the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists (WCET), we had a great international presence and I feel that the hybrid approach, both for attendees and for presenters, was a fantastic way to extend our reach and enhance the education given this year. Congratulations to WCET, the National Conference Planning Committee (chaired by Sunniva Zaratkiewicz), our attendees, and to our wonderful Association Headquarters Staff. Teamwork makes the dream work, and I am enormously proud of each person who made this event happen so excellently. Thank you all!
Serving as your President has been busy, and I have had the pleasure of serving with a fantastic Board of Directors this year. I appreciate each one's perspective and am looking forward to serving with our 2 newest Board members, Annielyn O'Campo and CeCe Zamarippa, who will both serve as Directors for the next 2 years. Welcome aboard! We say "see you in another capacity" to Secretary Chris Burke and Director Kevin Emmons. We are excited to have Derik Alexander elected to the Treasurer role and Jody Scardillo into the role of Secretary. I believe we will have another productive year in doing meaningful work for our members and our patients. Now is the time to consider how you might want to be involved in the Society in a more formal way. We need you! Service at the region/affiliate level is as important as at the national level, and the professional growth opportunity while serving is fantastic! I also want to take the opportunity to thank those who have served on our various committees and task forces this past year. We could not do one thing without you. Thank you!
Another announcement that is quite important is the selection of a Clinical Editor (CE). This CE is not serving on the Journal but is the person who will manage the Society's peer-reviewed documents, the review process, the document development process, and, really, all the minutia that these projects entail. Dr Andrew Storer, PhD, DNP, RN, NP-C, CWCN-AP, FAANP, has agreed to serve as the CE. We are excited to welcome Dr Storer into this role. Perhaps, you recall that a message was sent to members about the CE position. It was important to not simply "appoint" someone but to explore the vast talent that lies within our membership. Proudly, we had 6 applicants and discovered some gems that had much to contribute. Many of those candidates are now serving somewhere in the Society, and that makes the process a winning situation for everyone!
So, much change has occurred these last 12 months. The calendar pages have flipped faster than ever, and there is still so much to do! We have seen a lightening of COVID-19 in many areas, and I suspect we may need to brace for the next wave. But I have appreciated this window of easier living, of being able to be a little freer. I am also so mindful of the crisis that mounts increasingly daily with our healthcare system. We are seeing "The Great Departure" of bedside nurses, and that certainly influences the pool of nurses who may choose to become specialists in our arena. What is the answer? It is so complex ... the pandemic was the final straw, I suppose, to an already broken system. But where we are now is alarming not just from the collegial viewpoint but also from the safety aspects of rendering care. Now is the time to be sure and practice self-care and to take care of each other. This sustained sequela is not just about nursing but also about all types of healthcare workers and certainly about our very supply chain. These may be grave times in healthcare. We must continue to find ways to choose resilience despite fatigue. If you have not been told this lately: Thank you for all you are doing. Our patients need us desperately.
Summer usually brings joy because the sun is out a little more, brings motivation at the start of a new day, and is marked by the ability in most cases to just "be." A peaceful porch, a delightful sip of tea on a sweltering day, and the sheer enjoyment of feeling life as the sun shines on us can be wonderful. We are sitting here as an organization as well. We can reflect on the last few years, think about where we are, and rest for just a minute in the joy of personal and professional accomplishments of each member, each new member, each new WOC nurse, and our society. We can take a breath, pause for just a moment, and soak it in. Colleagues, let us make this next trip around the sun intentional. Let us find a little peace, a little rejuvenation, and let us continue to shine brightly for each other and our patients!
Respectfully,
-Dea J. Kent, DNP, RN, NP-C, CWOCN
President
Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society