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On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Brooke Passy. Brooke is a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP), Digital Event Strategist (DES) and Director of Meetings for the WOCN® Society. During this episode she reviews the ins-and-outs of the WOCNext® 2022: A Global Education Event from WOCN® and WCET®. WOCNext 2022 is a hybrid, experiential event featuring both online and in-person, networking, and activities geared towards WOC nurses and other healthcare professionals dedicated to providing expert care to patients with wound, ostomy, and continence care needs around the world. The event will take place from Sunday, June 5, 2022 through Wednesday, June 8, 2022 both in-person at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Forth Worth, Texas, USA. Whether you plan to attend in-person in Fort Worth, virtually, or both—you will get the *complete* WOCNext experience! Learn more at wocnext.org. Individuals who register for the event by Tuesday, June 7 will receive access to on-demand recordings for most event content, including the ability to evaluate sessions and receive Contact Hours, through December 31, 2022. Resources & Additional InfoTo view attendee event information and FAQs, click here. For travel and general event information, click here. To view the full event program, click here.This year’s event will feature 11 commercially supported Symposia sessions on the latest wound, ostomy, and continence care techniques. You can earn up to 4.5 additional Contact Hours by attending select Symposia. Because Symposia sessions run concurrently, you will not be able to attend all sessions live in real time. You will be able to view select sessions and earn additional Contact Hours on-demand after the live event ends. If you are already registered to attend in-person, you will need to log back in to your registration to add the Symposia sessions you want to attend. If you are registered to attend virtually or plan to register soon, there is no action that needs to be taken. You will automatically have access to the Symposia sessions. To view the exciting lineup of 75+ speakers, click here. See where your favorite exhibiting companies will be located in the Exhibit Hall of the Fort Worth Convention Center by viewing the Exhibit Hall floor plan. Download the official event app by searching for "WOCNext 2022" in the App Store or Google Play Store, or by clicking here. 

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Mary Harris, BSN, RN, CWON, who is a Wound and Ostomy Travel Nurse and the President-Elect of the New England Region. Mary shares her journey as a nurse, tips and tricks for anyone interested in becoming a travel nurse, and her experiences as a Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Travel Nurse. 

On this special 100th episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with WOCN® President, Dea Kent, DNP, RN, NP-C, CWOCN, to discuss the topic of leadership as reviewed during a previous WOCN webinar titled, “The WOC Nurse: emPOWERing the Leader Within”. How many times have you thought, “I am a nurse, not a leader!” Truth is, WOC nurses are indeed leaders just by virtue of our specialty practice. Leading people can be daunting, and so can finding your inner leader. Leadership is just another piece of the important role we have in facilitating care to our patients, and in the practical work of our workplaces. Listen in to become more emPOWERed in leadership, hear some unanswered questions from the previous live webinar on the same topic, and learn about additional topics relevant to leadership in the WOC nursing role. This podcast, the webinar, and WOC Nurse Week 2022 are supported by an educational grant from Medela. The WOCN® Society does not endorse specific products and services.  Resources:To view the free, on-demand recording of the webinar, “The WOC Nurse: emPOWERing the Leader Within”, click here. 1.00 Contact Hours are being offered for this activity.The Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society is an accredited provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.The Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 15115. To view the WOC Nurse Week 2022 resources, click here.  Visit wocn.org/empowered to find helpful resources designed to strengthen your personal and professional development and keep you shining bright for yourself and others.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Elizabeth Savage, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, CWON, IIWCC-NYU, Wound & Ostomy Program Manager at NYU Langone, and Wound & Ostomy Program participants Jessica Lieder, A-GNP, ANP-BC, CWON, and Sarah Lebovits, MSN, RN, ANP-BC, CWOCN, DAPWCA. Elizabeth, Sarah, and Jessica share their experiences of how they work together to successfully onboard and orient non-WOC certified nurses onto their team at NYU Langone.   

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Laura Monahan, OFS, DNP, MBA, RN, and Mary Sandrik, MSN, RN, CWOCN, two authors of the article “Physician Residents Shadowing a Certified WOC Nurse to Develop Interprofessional Competencies: A Quality Improvement Project” published in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN), the official journal of the WOCN® Society.  The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to assess a shadowing experience with a certified WOC nurse (CWOCN) on 4 interprofessional collaborative practice domains: interprofessional communication, role awareness, and responsibilities, teams and teamwork, and values and ethics for interprofessional practice. To learn more about the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN), the official journal of the WOCN Society, click here.   Episode Resources: Click here to read the article “Physician Residents Shadowing a Certified WOC Nurse to Develop Interprofessional Competencies: A Quality Improvement Project”.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Kate Lawrence, MSN, RN, CWOCN, the WOCN Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, and Chris Rorick, MPH, the WOCN  Director of Government Relations, who serve on the WOCN National Public Policy and Advocacy Committee. Kate and Chris discuss updates to the COVID-19 Legislation, partnering with other organizations to fill coverage gaps, Regional and Affiliate resources, the VoterVoice Platform, and other hot topics and resources.  For more information on WOCN Public Policy and Advocacy efforts, to access documents, and to contact your legislator regarding current policy issues, visit our Public Policy and Advocacy page. Episode Resources Click hereto view the WOCN Public Policy & Advocacy page. Click here to view the WOCN Trending Legislative Issues Click here to learn more about the Lymphedema Treatment Act Click here to view the Regional & Affiliate Public Policy Toolkit. (members-only) Click here to view the WOCN and UOAA Admission and Retention of People Living with an Ostomy in Assisted Living Residences Frequently Asked Questions document. Click here to view the new Surgical Dressings Provider Checklist and Frequently Asked Questions documents. Click here to view the Critical Need to Provide Ostomy Supplies Specific to Patient Need to Improve Health Outcomes whitepaper.  Click hereto send a message to your legislators through the VoterVoice platform.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Carol Stanley, MSN, APRN, CWOCN, author of the ePoster “Catapulting Wound/Ostomy Care into the 21st Century: Utilization of certified wound/ostomy APRN to the Full Extent of the License” that was presented at the WOCNext® 2021 conference. Carol discusses her WOC nursing experience at a wound clinic, the creation of an APRN role for inpatient and outpatient wound and ostomy consultation, and how that APRN role positively affected continuity of care, healing rates, revenue, and more.   Episode Resources: To view the interactive ePoster for Catapulting Wound/Ostomy Care into the 21st Century, click here. To view the abstract text, click here.  

On this special bonus episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Janice Beitz, PhD, RN, CS, CNOR, CWOCN-AP, CRNP, ANEF, FNAP, FAAN, to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nursing practice in conjunction with the recent webinar titled “My Favorite Perfume Scent is Hand Sanitizer: Covid-19 - Impact on Contemporary Ostomy Practice”. This webinar is available to view on-demand through the WOCN Continuing Education Center (CEC) and awards 1.0 Contact Hours. This webinar discussed the impact of Covid-19 on the American population, innovations growing out of the pandemic, and clinical implications for future ostomy care delivery and clinician self-care needs.This podcast and the webinar are supported by an educational grant from ConvaTec. The WOCN® Society does not endorse specific products and services. Episode ResourcesTo view the on-demand webinar “My Favorite Perfume Scent is Hand Sanitizer: Covid-19 - Impact on Contemporary Ostomy Practice”, click here. To learn more about WOCNext® 2022: A Global Education Event from WOCN® and WCET®, click here. To view the online Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN), click here.  

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Emilee Bartolo, RN, BSN, CWOCN, Chair of the Membership Engagement Committee of the WOCN® Society. Get to know Emilee and learn more about the Committee’s member outreach initiatives, “New to the Blue” member networking activities, upcoming goals, and more.   Episode Resources: To view the Members-Only Forums, click here. To view the WOCN Membership Big Book of Benefits, click here. If you’re a new WOCN member and want to reach out to Emilee with questions, please send an email to emileebartolo@yahoo.com, and feel free to send an email to the WOCN National Office at info@wocn.org.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with three NYU Langone Health Nurses, Elizabeth Savage, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, CWON, IIWCC-NYU, Oksana Nekoz, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, CWOCN, and Diana Kmita, BSN, RN, CRRN, CWOCN as they discuss their poster from WOCNext® 2021:A Virtual WOW Experience with the WOCN® Society and Relias titled Wound Consult Telehealth Validation.  Interested in submitting an Abstract for WOCNext® 2022:A Global Education Event from WOCN® And WCET®? Visit wocn.org/abstract to learn more and to submit your Abstract.   Episode Resources: Click here to view their poster Wound Consult Telehealth Validation. Click here to view the WOCNext 2021 accepted Abstracts.  

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Carolyn Watts, MSN, RN, CWON, and Laura Shafer, BSN, RN, CWON, who both serve on the Leadership Development Committee. This Committee helps to continually evolve the WOCN® Society’s landscape forward by soliciting and encouraging diversified members to run for leadership positions. Carolyn and Laura share their insights on the Committee’s purpose, who is eligible to hold WOCN leadership positions, what the Committee looks for in potential leadership candidates, how members can improve their leadership skills, and more. The Call for Nominations for the 2022 WOCN Election are open through December 20, 2021. WOCN members are encouraged to nominate themselves or any qualifying individuals for open positions in the 2022 Election. The open positions are Secretary, Treasurer, Director (2 positions), and members of the Leadership Development Committee (2 positions). To submit a nomination, visit wocn.org/election.org.   Episode Resources: For more information on the Call for Nominations for the 2022 WOCN Election, visit wocn.org/election.org. To view the current Chairs of each WOCN Society Committee, click here.  

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Joyce M. Black, PhD, RN, as she discusses WOCN’s webinar series Skin Assessment Conundrums: Pigment, Technology, and Moisture. On this episode Joyce addresses unanswered questions from the series and shares with listeners her insight into the latest evidence and adds her expertise to common skin assessment conundrums related to pigment, technology, and moisture.  The Skin Assessment Conundrums Series and this podcast are supported by an  educational grant from Hillrom. The WOCN® Society does not endorse specific products and services.   Episode Resources: If you registered for the Skin Assessment Webinar series, click here to view the event page and access the webinars on demand.  Click here to access Skin Assessment: What's Pigment Got to Do With It? on the WOCN Society Continuing Education Center (CEC). Click here to access Skin Assessment: What's Moisture Got to Do With It? on the WOCN Society Continuing Education Center (CEC). Click here to access Skin Assessment: What's Technology Got To Do With It? the additional symposia session from WOCNext® 2021: A Virtual WOW Experience with the WOCN® Society and Relias.  

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Meghan Smith, MSN, RN, AGACNP, CWOCN, WOCN Education Committee Chair, as she shares what the Education Committee has been working on lately and all of the exciting new features and content coming to the WOCN Society Continuing Education Center (CEC).  Interested in joining the WOCN Education Committee? Visit www.wocn.org/volunteer-opportunities to stay informed about upcoming volunteer opportunities in 2022.  Episode Resources: Click here to visit the WOCN Society Continuing Education Center (CEC).    

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Jeanine Gleba, UOAA Advocacy Manager, and Joanna Burgess, BSN, RN, CWOCN, UOAA Advocacy Committee Co-Chair, practicing nurse and ostomate. We discuss Ostomy Awareness Day and World Ostomy Day, ostomy advocacy and awareness outreach initiatives, ostomy care research, and ostomy patient rights. Ostomy Awareness Day is celebrated annually on the first Saturday in October. World Ostomy Day is celebrated every three years on the first Saturday in October among organizations and ostomates worldwide. October 2, 2021, marks the 10th anniversary of World Ostomy Day with the theme of “Ostomates’ Rights are Human Rights – anytime and anywhere!”   Episode Resources: For more information on World Ostomy Day and how you can get involved, please visit ostomy.org/world-ostomy-day To learn more about Ostomy and Continence Diversion Patient Bill of Rights, click here. To register for WOCN® Ostomy Education Day 2021, a free online experience held on October 2nd that will feature 8 educational sessions and will award a total of 6.75, click here.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Anne Walsh, ANP-BC, ACHPN, CWOCN, author of the ePoster “Palliative Wound Care Where Aggressive Symptom Management Is the Goal” that was presented at the WOCNext® 2021 conference. We discuss the role of the WOC nurse in palliative care, the free App called “Palliative Wound Pro” that Anne developed, telehealth consultations, wound healing, and much more!   Episode Resources: Click here to view the ePoster “Palliative Wound Care Where Aggressive Symptom Management Is the Goal”. Click here to download the App Palliative Wound Pro for Apple devices. Click here to download the App Palliative Wound Pro for Android devices. If you missed WOCNext® 2021: A Virtual WOW Experience with the WOCN® Society and Relias, you could gain access to everything you missed during the live event for just $199. Click here to access the on-demand content.

During this special bonus WOCTalk episode, we sit down with Janice M. Beitz, PhD, RN, CS, CNOR, CWOCN, CRNP, MAPWCA, ANEF, FNAP, FAAN as she discusses the content from her recent WOCN Society emPOWERed Series webinar “Empowered: Packing Your Professional Development Suitcase (Your Career Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone).” During the episode, Dr. Beitz further explains the importance of continued professional development in the context of the business of healthcare.  The WOCN emPOWERment Webinar Series includes six online webinars focusing on professional development and health and wellness topics lead by the following subject matter experts. The WOCN® emPOWERed Webinar Series and the WOCN emPOWERment Center are supported by an educational grant from Medela. The WOCN® Society does not endorse specific products and services. Episode Resources Click here to view on-demand content and sign up for upcoming educational opportunities through the WOCN emPOWERed Webinar Series. Want to win prizes? Simply watch our emPOWERment webinars live or watch the on-demand sessions through December 31 and you'll be entered to win. It's that easy! Click here to view the WOCN emPOWERment Center.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Laura Swoboda, DNP, APNP, FNP-BC, CWOCN-AP, Jessica Held, DNP, APNP, FNP-BC, CWOCN-AP, CFCN, and Aimee Frisch, BSN, RN, CWOCN, authors of the ePoster “Outpatient Ostomy Triage Tool: Education for the Generalist” that was presented at the WOCNext® 2021 conference. The authors discuss the importance of care issues among new ostomates, the gap in education of how healthcare providers can triage ostomy concerns, and how this tool can provide resources to patients in need of ostomy supplies and educate healthcare staff on ostomy care in multiple settings.   Episode Resources: Click here to view the ePoster Outpatient Ostomy Triage Tool: Education for the Generalist. If you missed WOCNext® 2021: A Virtual WOW Experience with the WOCN® Society and Relias, you could gain access to everything you missed during the live event for just $199. Click here to access the on-demand content.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Dea Kent, DNP, RN, NP-C, CWOCN, the 23rd President of the WOCN® Society. Dea was sworn in as the newest President at the close of the WOCNext® 2021 conference. During the episode, Dea talks about her love of WOC nursing, playing music, and being adventurous! Listen to get to know your President personally and professionally and hear what she’s looking forward to in her new leadership role with WOCN.  Episode Resources: If you’d like to reach out to Dea, you can do so at dkent@wocn.org.

On this episode of WOCTalk we sit down with Catherine Ratcliff, PhD, GNP-BC,CWOCN, CFCN, FAAN, and Laurie McNichol, MSN, RN, CNS, GNP, CWOCN, CWON-AP, FAAN, to discuss the results of the Peristomal Skin Health: A WOCN Society Society Consensus Conference, including the characteristics of healthy peristomal skin, intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting peristomal skin health, gaps in evidence, and best practices for maintaining healthy peristomal skin. In addition to this episode, this important topic was presented as an educational session during WOCNext® 2021. WOCNext 2021 attendees can view this session on-demand for free by logging into the event site and clicking the On-Demand Content tab. Episode Resources: Click here to read the article that was published in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN). Click here to view the WOCNext 2021 General Session on-demand. You must be logged in with your WOCNext 2021 registration information to access the on-demand content. Once logged in you can access the handouts, resources, and chat log from this session by selecting the handouts tab on the event site. To view additional information about sessions from WOCNext 2021, please click here to view the Final Program.

On this episode of WOCTalk we sit down with Barbara Dale, RN, CHHN, CWOCN. Barbara started her career as a nursing assistant in long term care in 1985. She has worked in a variety of settings from acute care to psychiatric prisons but found her niche in home health after obtaining her RN in 2000. She obtained her WOC nurse certification from Emory University in 2003. In her current role she does patient evaluations and maintains all medical supplies for her home health, hospice, and private duty locations. Barbara has actively volunteered on a National level for WOCN over 10 years and has participated in several CMS technical expert panels on issues pertaining to wound ostomy continence patients. She has several publications including “What is an LCD and why do I need to know?”, has presented on a national and international basis and co-authored the Palliative Care section of the WOC Core Curriculum wound textbook with Kevin Emmons,DrNP, RN, APN, AGPCNP-BC, CWCN, CFCN. During this episode, Barbara discusses her various national-level volunteer roles with WOCN, her career, her current role and supply expertise as a Director of WOC Services Quality Home Health & Hospice in Tennessee, and the topic from her session at WOCNext 2021, Successful Transitions of Care: Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Supplies. The session will be available on-demand soon! Episode ResourcesIf you registered for WOCNext 2021, you can access the handouts, resources, and chat log from Barbara’s session, “Successful Transitions of Care: Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Supplies by selecting the handouts tab on the event site. To view additional information about sessions from WOCNext 2021, please click here to view the Final Program. WOCN Members: to network with other members please utilize the WOCN Forums by clicking here. To monitor when volunteer opportunities are available through WOCN, navigate to wocn.org/volunteer.