SON Home | UW Home | MyUW | UW Bothell | UW Tacoma | HealthLinks | Contact the School | Search SON | Internal Headlines | Briefly | From the Deans Desk | Alumni News New Wound Management Certificate Program Launched Instructor Renee Anderson demonstrates debridement techniques to student Joyce Avery in the new WOund Management Education Program. As the number of older adults increases, some experts predict that there will be corresponding 40% increase in the number of patients needing care for chronic wounds. In order to meet this increased demand, the School of Nursing is implementing a two-year project offering certificate courses on wound management education preparing registered nurses for certification in wound care, as well as an annual two-day continuing education conference on wound management. Both components are being directed by the Office of Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) and supported by a training grant from the Division of Nursing of the Health Resources and Services Administration. "We have had a huge knowledge explosion in the physiology of how wounds heal and in the types and numbers of available treatments," says Dr. JoAnne Whitney, principle investigator and research scientist in the area of wound care. "For example, using wet to dry dressings is no longer considered appropriate, nor is the use of heat lamps. Some treatments actually damage tissue rather than promote tissue repair." Whitney explains that new treatments include biologically active therapies and require a different knowledge level to guide successful clinical application. Whitney, a professor in the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, also notes that, although there are now many specialized centers on wound care, they cannot treat everyone. "Wound care is an on-going problem in hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities and home care," she explains. Graduates of the Wound Management Education Program will be eligible to take a certification exam to be a certified wound care nurse. The certificate program, currently undergoing national accreditation by the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN), will be offered twice each year through 2004. An important aspect of the program is the pairing of students with preceptors certified in wound care, who will guide students in gaining knowledge and expertise in the role of the clinical specialist in wound management. The course will be offered in two formats, a 3-week intensive format and an 8-week extended format. A distance learning component will be added in 2004. Selected clinical observations will be planned for all participants. The program is co-directed by Renee Anderson, a wound, ostomy and continence clinical nurse specialist and president of Rainier Clinical Consultants, Inc., and Betty Hanrahan, nurse practitioner and board certified would care specialist. The wound management education program was developed with the assistance of Ginger Salvadalena, clinical nurse specialist, and Wendy Valentine, surgical clinical nurse specialist and clinical faculty member of the School of Nursing. The closest WOCN-accredited nursing education program devoted solely to wound care is in Charleston, South Carolina. Martha DuHamel, Director of Continuing Education, notes that the certificate program and the annual two-day conference on wound care were developed on the recommendation of the CNE Community Advisory Committee, who cited the frequency of wound care problems and the lack of training available for registered nurses. Attesting to community interest, enrollment in both the annual wound care conference (November 2001) and the first certificate course (April-May 2002) have exceeded expectations. Return to Headlines Headlines | Briefly | From the Deans Desk | Alumni News   Copyright © 2008 University of Washington 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, Washington 98195