Shield HealthCare is proud to celebrate WOC Nurse Week from April 13-19, 2014! Wound, Ostomy and Continence (WOC) nurse specialists have completed dedicated specialty nursing education that qualifies them as experts in wound care, ostomy care and continence care. WOC nurses provide the calm reassurance, expert knowledge and caring support that patients suffering from wound, ostomy and incontinence issues need to recover and thrive. WOCN nurses noticeably improve patient care results, resulting in lowered health care costs and improving the lives of patients. Shield HealthCare invites you to learn more about the difference a Wound, Ostomy, Continence nurse makes in patient care.
What Is A WOC Certified Nurse?
WOC nurses provide acute and rehabilitative care for people with abdominal stomas, wounds, fistulas, drains, pressure ulcers, other complicated wounds and continence disorders. WOC nurses are clinical experts in their field, undergoing a vast amount of education and preparation and meeting rigorous requirements to obtain OWCNCB Certification.
A WOC nurse possesses a strong background in evidence based practice and focuses on prevention and management of complications related to wound, ostomy and continence care. WOC nursing is one of the few specialties recognized by the American Nurses Association (ANA), signifying that WOC nurses adhere to the highest standards of excellence cultivated by the ANA.
Improved Outcomes
Recent studies that compare patient outcomes have found that patients in home health care agencies with a WOC nurse are:
- 20% more likely to show improvement in lower extremity ulcers
- Nearly 2x as likely to show improvement in pressure ulcers
- 40% more likely to show improvement in surgical wounds
- 40% more likely to show improvement in urinary incontinence
- 14% more likely to show improvement in bowel incontinence
WOC nurses play a pivotal role in providing superior ostomy care. Patients undergoing ostomy surgery, whether temporary or permanent, require intensive physical and emotional care and ongoing support while returning to their normal lives. WOC nurses also provide this specialized care for patients with urinary and/or fecal incontinence, urinary and fecal diversions, fistulas and tubes, pressure ulcers and much more. WOC nurses are experts at providing wound care, and their expertise includes planning and providing comprehensive preventive care, preventing wound complications and reducing recidivism.
As an educator, consultant, researcher and administrator, the WOC nurse plays a pivotal role in providing optimal patient care in multiple health care settings, including inpatient,outpatient, long-term care and home health. (WOCN® Society-WOCNCB®, 2008). Learn more about the expertise of WOC Nurses at wocn.org.
On behalf of Shield HealthCare, we offer a heartfelt thank you to all Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses!
Are you a WOC Nurse? Visit Shield HealthCare on Facebook, and share a photo of your team! We’d love to hear from you.
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