From: WOCNCB <info@wocncb.org>
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2018 11:07 AM
To: Lisa Obradovic (WOCNCB)
Subject: WOCNCB Certification E-News
IN THIS ISSUE: Award Spotlight
| Helping Hands | Did you Know? | Save Dates President's
Message
Hello and
happy summer! There are some exciting things going on within our
certifications. I enjoyed
meeting many of you who stopped by our booth at the WOCN Annual Conference in
Philadelphia last month. We had a team of Board members, PGP Committee
members, and staff on hand to answer questions about certification and
recertification. While at the conference, we celebrated WOCNCB®’s 40th
Anniversary with cupcakes and photo-ops in our exhibit booth. I would like
to recognize the recipient of the 2018 Employer Recognition Award: Thomas
Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. The award was presented at the
WOCN Society conference, and they are an amazing team of dynamic, young
nurses who are innovative in their approach to providing care and identifying
interventions for prevention. It is so exciting to see the emergence of new
leaders within our field. I would also
like to recognize the wonderful nurses who have 30 years of certification –
you are our mentors and our pillars of wisdom. Thank you for your
presence and your practice. 2018 has
already seen many projects related to our certifications come to
fruition. You’ll find stories in this newsletter about the new Foot
Care Fast Track, the new and improved PGP Handbook, and details on the many
exam prep resources that are available as you get ready to take the
certification exams. We encourage
you to talk about your certifications – share them with nursing students,
with your peers, and with your patients. Let them know about your
achievements. Your celebrations are our celebrations! Please
share your stories on Facebook, LinkedIn, and through our newsletters. We
will continue to celebrate our 40th Anniversary throughout the
year, so please share your photos and stories both new and old #wocncb40. I was so
excited to meet so many new nurses who have decided to pursue certification
through the WOCNCB®. Your energy and enthusiasm is contagious.
And to the nurses who have longevity – it is your wisdom that has built our
specialties and set the GOLD standard for patient care. I look forward
to hearing more stories and celebrations of nurses certified by
WOCNCB®. If you have
any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me directly. Jill
Trelease, DNP(c), FNP-BC, CWON, CFCN Award Spotlight
2018
Employer Recognition Award
Congratulations
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (TJUH)
The WOCNCB
Employer Recognition Award is awarded annually to honor an organization that
has demonstrated exemplary support of the certification process in WOC
nursing. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (TJUH) is the winner of the
2018 award. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is a level 1 trauma center
with 900 beds, employing 5 CWOCNs. "The ability to
have a team of Wound Ostomy Continence Nurses (WOCNs) at Thomas Jefferson
University Hospital has been invaluable. The WOCN certified nurses are
qualified specialists in caring for patients with ostomies, difficult to
treat wounds, and pressure injury prevention. They are knowledgeable in
technological advances as well as therapeutics related to wound, ostomy, and
continence care. The WOCNs have also contributed greatly in the
positive culture shift seen in our institution especially in the area of
pressure injury prevention and treatment. Our WOCNs are visible and
accessible throughout the hospital: they perform daily skin rounds with
an interdisciplinary team, collaborate with staff caring for at-risk
patients, as well as assess and educate patients and families. Their
interdisciplinary approach ensures that everyone knows their role
in pressure injury prevention – from transportation aides to physicians and
nurses, patients and their families. In addition, our WOCN team
provides mentorship and guidance to our unit based Skin Champion nurses
through monthly education and one-on-one collaboration. Pressure
injury prevention is foundational to the care our patients receive at
Jefferson. Evidence of the effectiveness of our WOCN team includes: our
hospital-acquired pressure injury prevalence rate is consistently below the
National benchmark for a Level 1 Trauma center; education of staff and
creating educational tools for staff; planning and coordinating an Annual
Global Pressure Injury Prevention Conference that engages our staff as well
as staff from local institutions. I can attest to the positive impact that
our WOCN team has made in ensuring that every patient receives excellent care
at our institution." Mary Anne
McGinley, PhD, RN, Senior Vice President for Patient Services & Chief
Nursing Officer Click
here to learn more about the Employer Recognition Award and read the
winning 2018 nomination essay. Congratulations
to these WOCNCB® Certified for hitting the 30-Year Continuous
Certification Mark in 2018!
They join the
ranks of individuals who hit the mark previously. To view the list of
previously WOCNCB® 30-year continuous certifications since 2013 click here. Congratulations
to our 2018 video contest winners!
Contest
theme: As a Certified Nurse what impact has 40 years of WOCNCB® Certification
had on your nursing specialty(ies)?
View winning videos!
Share your Accomplishments
WOCNCB®
would like to recognize our certificants for their accomplishments! If
you have an achievement that you are especially proud of, or if you know a
colleague who does, let WOCNCB® know!
We are dedicated to highlighting the successes of our incredible nurses
through social media, email updates and newsletters. 2018
Conference Highlights!
Helping Hands
A
Patient's Point of View
My name is
Phil Balmoos. In October of 2016, I suffered my first and only
bout with diverticulitis. I was hospitalized, and given antibiotics
with the hope that my bowel was not perforated. On the 3rd day,
a full scan showed that my sigmoid colon was indeed perforated and
to my great surprise, I was told that I was going into surgery as soon as
they could get me into the operating room. My mind went blank, and then
was flooded with a cacophony of confusing thoughts and questions. I was
frightened, not knowing much about what was about to happen and not looking
forward to it. My mom had received a colostomy 20 years prior
caused by colon cancer and my loving wife had stepped up and cared for
her. So my wife had experience with caring and fitting of ostomy
products then. After
the surgery, doctors and nurses would come in and look, touch,
feel, look at drips, ask how I’m feeling, draw blood, etc. I don’t
really remember their names or faces. Then I met a wonderful nurse
named Gina Day. She came into
my room, and proceeded to tell me that she was there to make sure I knew how
to deal with my new plumbing. Now, I was still reeling from wrapping my
head around this “thing” so learning about it was the last thing I wanted to
do just then. I was hungry because for the 3 days before my surgery and
until the bowels came out of shock, (3 days later) all I had was ice
chips. Also, my incision (10 inches long) was healing so it was
slow. But as soon as I was able to sit in my chair, Gina handed me a
colostomy bag and said practice opening, closing, handling, cleaning and
getting used to it. As I said, my wife had experience with my mom, so
it was a little more comforting with her there to listen to Gina and ask
questions. Gina kept reiterating to me (us) that she was determined
that I was going to be proficient at handling this process. Gina
answered (and continues answering) all our questions, made many helpful
suggestions regarding diet changes, and really made us feel okay about this. Then the
surgeon told us that I would go home on Friday but there would be no visiting
nurse available until Monday, expecting my wife to handle the daily incision
dressing changes for the weekend. On the previous Thursday, when my
wife saw the raw, weeping incision for the 1st time, she
turned white and nearly fell out. Gina stepped in and challenged the
surgeon’s recommendation of discharge (much to the chagrin of the surgeon)
and insisted I stay and discharge Monday. Gina Day is
an ostomy nurse. She is the only ostomy nurse in the Pocono area.
That has to be overwhelming. She is kind, caring, and totally dedicated
to helping “ostomates” with this life-altering situation. She is a
mom. She has a life but always takes time to call back, answer texts,
and do whatever it takes to help us. She organizes our monthly support
group, newsletter, events, guest speakers, lines up manufacturer
representatives to come show us new or different product choices, and takes
time just to listen. There is nobody better or more informed about this
field. Oh yeah, she does all this and she doesn’t really have a dog in
the race. She does it just because she sees a need
and cares. My wife and I are so thankful she came into my
room. Everybody in our support group, and anybody else who has had the
pleasure of her expertise and manner feels the same way. Did you Know?
A
CWCN and a CFCN have a lot in common
Happy
feet. Dancing feet. Athlete’s foot. High arch. Flat foot. Fat
foot. Whatever type of feet people have, they are important to
mobility. Those of you who are certified wound care nurses know how
much a diabetic neuropathic ulcer, or peripheral arterial ulcer can cost
someone. They can lose all or part of their foot or have an even
greater portion of their leg amputated. You can be part of the solution
as a Certified Foot Care Nurse. Certified Foot Care Nurses play a
significant role in the prevention of lower extremity amputation through
assessment and education of patients. Certified
Foot Care Nurses assist the elderly with fall prevention by assessing gait,
mobility and foot wear. As a Certified Foot Care Nurse, you can help
clients walk again and wear shoes, not by a miracle, but simply by reducing
nails and callouses. You can assist diabetic patients and patients with
a foot deformity to find shoes and cost-effective over the counter products
that could reduce their risk of foot injury. You can touch the homeless
patient who does not have the resources to see a podiatrist. Certified
Foot Care Nurses function in homes, hospitals, podiatry offices, and assisted
living and long-term care settings. Touching feet
and saving lives –the mission of a Certified Foot Care Nurse. A Certified
Wound Care Nurse (CWCN®) and a Certified Foot Care Nurse (CFCN®).complement
each other and
if you are currently certified in one area, you meet most eligibility
requirements for the additional certification. Learn
more here. CFCN® FAST TRACK eligibility for current
CWCN®,
CWON® or
CWOCN® -
If you hold a CWCN®, it will replace the 8CE/CME in basic
skin/wound care as well as the 12 clinical hours specific to skin/wound care
needed! Full eligibility information is outlined in the Candidate
Examination Handbook. Official WOCNCB® Foot Care Flash Cards coming
soon! Your
WOCNCB® is here for you!
The Benevolence Fund
The
Benevolence Fund provides financial support for recertification. Possible
circumstances that would qualify you for funding:
To learn more
and download the application visit the Benevolence
Fund page of our website. New in 2018 -
WOCNCB® is accepting online Benevolence Fund donations via the
WOCNCB® website Donate Here! WOCNCB®
Certification & Recertification Resources
Exam Preparation
Time to recertify and don't like
exams? Consider PGP
The WOCNCB®
established the Professional Growth Program (PGP) as an alternative to taking
an exam for recertification.
Submit a professional portfolio using an online submission system. We have
online resources to guide you through the PGP process. Click on any of these
helpful tools to get started or visit the website.
Stay
tuned
for an upcoming invite for the new PGP Webinar later this year. Need PGP points? Volunteer to Promote WOCNCB®
with the Showbox!
Are you going
to a WOCN Regional Conference? If you plan on
attending a regional conference, please consider volunteering and promoting
the WOCNCB®. To make it easy, WOCNCB® will send you a
"Showbox" containing promotional material and resources. As a
bonus, you will obtain two PGP points (teaching category) under any specialty!
To request a Showbox contact: info@wocncb.org
or call (888) 496-2622. Pictured
right: Sheryl Bailey, BSN, RN, CWOCN, CFCN promoting
WOCNCB® in Portsmouth, VA. WOCNCB® 40th Anniversary
Celebrate
with Us!
WOCNCB® is
celebrating its 40 year anniversary in 2018. Join in the celebration by
sharing your memories or photos from your years as a WOCNCB® certified nurse
with us using #WOCNCB40
and adding the “I am a WOCNCB® Certified Nurse” Facebook
frame to your profile picture. Save the Date: WOCNCB®
will be exhibiting at these upcoming conferences:
International
Continence Society (ICS) August 28-31, 2018 Phildelphia, PA - Learn More or Register ANCC
Magnet
October 24-26, 2018 in Denver, Colorado - Learn More or
Register Desert
Foot
November 7 – 10, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona - Learn More or Register Look for us
at these conferences and stop by our booth and grab a WOCNCB® Certified
purple name badge ribbon! |
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