WOCTalk

WOCNext 2023 will take place from June 4-7, 2023, both in Las Vegas and virtually. WOCNext is the ONLY educational event of the year hosted by healthcare professionals for healthcare professionals that delivers what’s new, what’s needed, and what’s next in wound, ostomy, continence, and foot and nail care. Whether you plan to attend in-person or virtually, if you are a first-time attendee or a conference veteran, there is something for everyone. Both in-person and virtual attendees will have access to the event’s on-demand recordings for most of the content, including the including the ability to evaluate sessions and receive credits, through December 31, 2023. Episode Resources: Click here to learn more about the Opening Keynote session Bring Your Soul To work Click here to listen to Ryan’s podcast Champion Your Culture About the Speaker: Ryan McCarty is an author, international renowned speaker, and the co-founder of Culture of Good, Inc. After creating and implementing a wildly successful Culture of Good movement at the largest Verizon Authorized Wireless Retailer, in which he spearheaded community investments worth $6 million for those in need, Ryan recognized the need to share the Culture of Good with other successful organizations and their leadership. Ryan’s work has been featured in Huffington Post, Inc.com, People, Forbes and more. With more than 20 years of leadership experience in the ministry and nonprofit industry, Ryan has a meaningful passion for inspiring employees and customers, igniting positive change in the world, and impacting companies’ bottom lines. He teaches how to unleash results in the workplace and world by inspiring employees to bring their soul to work every day.

WOCNext 2023 will take place from June 4-7, 2023, both in Las Vegas and virtually. WOCNext is the ONLY educational event of the year hosted by healthcare professionals for healthcare professionals that delivers what’s new, what’s needed, and what’s next in wound, ostomy, continence, and foot and nail care. Whether you plan to attend in-person or virtually, if you are a first-time attendee or a conference veteran, there is something for everyone. Both in-person and virtual attendees will have access to the event’s on-demand recordings for most of the content, including the including the ability to evaluate sessions and receive credits, through December 31, 2023. Episode Resources: Visit wocnext.org to check out all of the event information Click here to register online Click here to reserve a hotel room in the WOCNext block Check out the Linq Promenade—a section of shops, restaurants, and entertainment near the WOCNext event space and hotel block Click here for information on the First-Time Attendee Meet & Greet Click here for information on the Welcome Networking Reception Click here to view the Symposia sessions Click here to view the Hands-on Workshops Log in to the WOCNext MyConnect platform to make appointments with exhibitors and message with exhibitors Click here to view the Exhibit Hall Floorplan About the Speaker: Brooke Passy is a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP), Digital Event Strategist (DES), and the Director of Meetings for the WOCN® Society.

To learn more about The Value of the WOC Nurse: A WOCN® Quality Improvement Project, click here. To view the Value of the WOC Nurse resource page, click here. To begin showcasing your value on the WOC Nurse Value Dashboard, click here. Members of the WOCN Society may download the WOC Nursing Salary & Productivity Survey here. About the Speakers: Joyce Pittman, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FNPBC, CWOCN, FAAN is the Chair of the WOCN Quality Indicators Task Force and an Associate Professor for the College of Nursing at the University of South Alabama Health Sciences. Jen Hurley, CHCP, CPHQ, is a support staff member of WOCN® where she serves as a Continuing Education & Accreditation Services consultant.

Visit the SALSAL Foundation website at thesalsal.org The SALSAL Scholarship information can be found here Information about the SALSAL White Sock Campaign can be found here Information about SALSAL Patient Assistance can be found here View the SALSAL Resources here About the Speakers: Dr. Desmond Bell is the Founder and President of “The Save A Leg, Save A Life” Foundation, a multi-disciplinary non-profit organization dedicated to the reduction in lower extremity amputations and improving wound healing outcomes through education, evidence-based methodology and community outreach. He also serves as Chief Medical Officer of Omeza, an evidence-based medical technology company and consumer healthcare products company initially focused on healing chronic wounds and preventing their recurrence. In 2020, he joined MD Coaches as an Executive Physician Coach, serving as a peer to peer mentor. Dr. Bell was awarded the Frist Humanitarian Award by Specialty Hospital Jacksonville for 2009 and Memorial Hospital Jacksonville in 2018. He is a Board-Certified Wound Specialist (CWS) having served on the Board of Directors of the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care, the American Board of Wound Management for 6 years as well as on the Board of the American Board of Wound Management Foundation. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and is a member of the CLI Global Society. Dr. Bell has published numerous articles primarily pertaining to wound management and lower extremity amputation prevention and has served as an Editorial Board Member for the publication “Today’s Wound Clinic” since its inception. He is nationally recognized speaker, with regular faculty roles at AMP, ASCENT and Modern Wound Care Management.

Episode Resources: The WOCN® Society Community platform provides an online support network for questions, inquiries, and professional networking – Join the Continence Community to view discussions, post, and reply to others The Community platform is a WOCN members-only benefit. You must be logged in with your WOCN membership username and password to view access the online discussions. Click here to view and download the poster “The WOC Nurse Role in Post-Operative K-Pouch Care” created and presented by Erin and Vanessa Click here to visit the Quality of Life Association website Click here to visit the K-Pouch Korner online forum provided by The J-Pouch Group Click here to view and download the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) Ostomate Bill of Rights resources page Click here to visit the Patient Resources section of the WOCN Society’s website Click here to purchase the Core Curriculum Ostomy Management, 2nd Edition About the Speakers: Vanessa Marra, BSN, RN, CWOCN, has 10 years of nursing experience and has held a WOC Nurse certification for 5 years. Vanessa has expertise with Continent Ileostomy Patient care. Erin Testerman-Mitra, BSN, RN, CWOCN has 13 years of nursing experience and has held a WOC Nurse certification for 10 years. Erin has expertise with continent ileostomy patient care. Erin served as Secretary, Vice President, and President of the WOCN® Society’s Metro NY Affiliate, and currently sits on the Society’s national Membership Engagement Committee.

Episode Resources: To learn more about the Better Health Ostomy Peer Support Program, click here. To refer your patient to Better Health, visit trybetter.com. About the Speaker: Emily Gray, MSN, CRNP, CEN, is a nurse practitioner and ostomate who directs the Peer Support program at Better Health. After realizing that ostomates have far more to learn than just pouch changes and basic troubleshooting, she became a peer coach. Now Emily and her team work to provide a holistic approach to patient care that includes product expertise, patient education, and emotional support to help ostomates adjust to their new normal and to reduce the burden on clinical staff.

About the Speakers: Colleen Drolshagen, BSN, RN, APRN, CWOCN, is a board-certified wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nurse with over 35 years of experience caring for individuals with these specific needs. She has worked in both acute care and outpatient settings. She has enjoyed many opportunities to speak internationally and to volunteer within her professional organizations. Colleen served on the Wound, Ostomy Continence Certification Board (WOCNCB®) exam committee, served as chair of that committee and is currently on the WOCNCB exam preparation committee. Colleen has also served as Director for the WOCN® Society. Colleen served on the National Conference Planning committee and was also selected as chair for that committee and served 4 years. Currently, Colleen is in the global research department as Principal Clinical Scientist at Hollister. This transition has allowed her to continue her passion of assisting individuals with ostomy and continence needs but now on a global level. She contributes to science-driven information that supports positive outcomes to enhance their quality of life. Mandy Spitzer, MBA, RN, CWOCN, CFCN, has been a Registered Nurse for 14 years with a focus on wound, ostomy, and continence nursing for the past 11 years. Prior to joining Smith+Nephew, Mandy practiced at a Level-One Trauma Center where she gained experience addressing chronic wounds, complex surgical wounds, ostomies, and guiding the WOC practice and staff education for the institution. She currently serves as President for the South Central Region of the WOCN Society and is an active member of the WOCN Society. Mandy now serves as Senior Global Clinical Strategy Manager supporting real world evidence generation for Smith+Nephew's Advanced Wound Care portfolio.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Mary Jo Conley, BSN, RN, CWOCN, to discuss the implementation of a WOC nurse council that consolidates policy and practice across a large hospital network. Mary Jo goes into detail of how the idea of the council was born, the structure of the council, projects, challenges, and so much more. She addresses how the council serves as a great forum for networking, questions, feedback, and support for new WOC nurses and various departments. She also offers advice for nurses who want to start out on this path. The topic of WOC nurse councils has received a lot of engagement in the WOCN Communities, a WOCN Society members-only online platform for professional networking and questions. About the Speaker: Mary Jo Conley, BSN, RN, CWOCN has been a member of the WOCN Society for more than 30 years. She has recent experience leading a WOC nurse council comprised of WOC nurses from 10 facilities within a hospital network to consolidate policy and practice across the network. Mary Jo currently serves on the WOCN Society’s Board of Directors. She has also been involved in various WOCN Society committees and task forces. Resources: Mentioned in this episode - Visit community.wocn.org to access the WOCN Community platform, or access it on the WOCN website under the Members-Only dropdown menu. Mentioned in this episode - Click here to read the JWOCN article “Development and Implementation of a Simple Wound Care Guideline for Minor Skin Lesions”

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Sara Coverstone, RN, MA, CHC, CWON, Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer, for an inside look into the role of healthcare compliance and privacy. Sara breaks down the difference between corporate compliance vs. risk management, common compliance misconceptions, important areas that WOC nurses and clinicians should be aware of, and she offers strategies for WOC nurses to promote positive compliance and ways to enhance knowledge of corporate compliance. About the Speakers: Sara Coverstone has worked in an integrated health system for more than fifteen years, serving as a Certified Wound and Ostomy Nurse (CWON) for eight of those years. She has had roles in the clinical practice department of post-acute care providing oversight to the wound care team, wound protocols and processes, wound education, and the medical supply program. She now serves as the Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer, addressing rules and regulations for the health system. Sara has facilitated wound training both to the health system and to long-term care facilities in the community with the WOCN® Society’s Wound Treatment Associate (WTA) Program. She served as a member of the national WTA Advisory Committee from 2016-2020. She currently serves as the Chair of the WOC Extender Advisory Committee, the newly combined WTA and OCA Program committee. Resources: Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) American Health Law Association (AHLA)

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Renee Malandrino, MSN, RN, CWOCN, Margaret Goldberg, MSN, RN, CWOCN, and Lisa Peacey, BSN, RN, NSWOC, three of the authors of the WOCNext® 2022 ePoster, “Patient Reported Outcomes on Living with an Ostomy: Reporting on Three Years of Data.” Renee, Margaret, and Lisa discuss the Observational Study of Ostomy Consumers (OSO™) registry, the registry collection tools, and their thoughts on the current OSO registry survey results. The OSO registry provides an opportunity to collect prospective, observational, patient-reported outcomes data and explore the experiences of living with an ostomy over a 5-year period. This information will aid in directing future research to support or challenge current knowledge and therefore guide future clinical practice, clinical research, and new product innovations. This podcast episode is supported by an educational grant from Hollister Incorporated. The WOCN® Society does not endorse specific products and services. Episode Resources: Click here to read the Wound Management & Prevention Original Research article, “Methods and Initial Findings of the Observational Study of Ostomy Consumers Registry” Click here to visit the online Hollister Product selector Click here to view the WOCNext 2022 abstract, “Patient Reported Outcomes on Living with an Ostomy: Reporting on Three Years of Data.” Click here to view the interactive ePoster and author video from WOCNext 2022 Click here to view all WOCNext 2022 accepted abstracts and ePosters Click here to view the Peristomal Skin Assessment Guide for Clinicians Click here to view the Peristomal Skin Assessment Guide for Consumers (English) Click here to view the Peristomal Skin Assessment Guide for Consumers (Spanish)

This special podcast is part of the Ostomy Observations Series, a brand-new 6-part series that is included in the "Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow" Program and is commercially supported through an educational grant from Hollister Incorporated. On this final series episode, we talk with Jan Colwell, APRN, CWOCN, FAAN, to discuss colostomy irrigation management and best practices. This podcast is part of the OstomyObservations Podcast Series, a brand-new 6-part series that is included in the "Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow" Program. Both the podcast series and the Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow Program are commercially supported through an educational grant from Hollister Incorporated. For additional information, please visit: wocn.org/exceptionaloutcomes. The WOCN® Society does not endorse or support products or services. Episode Resources: Read the JWOCN® Evidence-Based Report Card Does Colostomy Irrigation Affect Functional Outcomes and Quality of Life in Persons With a Colostomy? Read the JWOCN® article Colostomy Irrigation: Current Knowledge and Practice of WOC Nurses Learn about the Ostomy Care Association (OCA) Program Speaker Bio: Jan Colwell, APRN, CWOCN, FAAN, has practiced as a wound and ostomy nurse for over 40 years. Most recently Jas has been the lead ostomy advanced practice nurse in an outpatient ostomy clinic. In her role as an ostomy nurse, Jan has had the opportunity to educate patients on colostomy irrigation and has been part of a research team that has examined the perceptions of ostomy nurses on irrigation. Jan has made many contributions to the field including serving as Past President of WOCN®, Editor and contributor to two ostomy care text books, Ostomy section Editor for the JWOCN®, Principal Investigator on several ostomy related research projects, Author on numerous publications in peer reviewed journals, member of the Task Force to update the WOCN Ostomy Guidelines, and has presented multiple oral presentations on ostomy care nationally and internationally.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Mary Ann Whaley, BSN, RN, CWON, CFCN, and Stephanie Stokes, BSN, CWOCN, CFCN, to discuss their facility’s new inpatient foot and nail care program. Services include basic foot assessment, foot/nail cleaning, toenail trimming, callus removing, moisturizing, and more. They also discuss the potential to turn this into a billable service and expand the lower extremity assessments. About the Speakers: Mary Ann Whaley became certified in wound care in 1999 through the WOCNCB. In 2005, I obtained my Certified Wound Specialist (CWS). In 2015, Mary Ann became certified in wound, ostomy, and foot. Her practice includes assessment and treatment of lower extremity wounds in patients with diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and other comorbidities. Toenail trimming is a service that she has recently been providing to inpatients with excessively long toenails, nails impinging on adjacent toes, and for nails that are inhibiting ambulation. Stephanie Stokes, BSN, CWOCN, CFCN, has been a certified wound, ostomy, continence, and foot care nurse since 2012. Her work as a CWOCN and CFCN includes but is not limited to experience with lower extremity and foot assessments and identification/treatment of wounds located on the feet and lower extremities. The addition of toenail trimming for patients in her facility with chronic comorbidities such as diabetes, vascular insufficiency, and diseased toenails is a new service she has been able to provide based on identified patient needs.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Laurie McNichol, MSN, RN, CNS, GNP, CWOCN, CWON-AP, FAAN and Mikel Gray, PhD, FNP, PNP, CUNP, CCCN, FAANP, FAAN. Laurie and Mikel share their ongoing work with the ICD-10-CM Codes and what to know about the new ICD-10 CM Codes for Irritant Contact Dermatitis Resource Center. This podcast episode and the ICD-10 CM Codes for Irritant Contact Dermatitis Resource Center are supported by an educational grant from 3M. The WOCN® Society does not endorse specific products and services. Episode Resources: Click here to view the ICD-10 CM Codes for Irritant Contact Dermatitis Resource Center About the Speakers: Laurie McNichol works full time as a Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Advanced Practice Nurse in Greensboro, NC. Her career as a WOC Nurse has focused on the prevention and treatment of pressure injuries, the care of the ostomy patient with a focus on the prevention of peristomal skin complications, incontinence-associated dermatitis and medical adhesive related skin injuries. She co-edited the first and second editions of the core curriculum textbook on wound care. Ms. McNichol has published and lectured widely and was a primary contributor to each of the WOCN Society’s six electronic decision support tools. Dr. Gray is a Nurse Practitioner and Professor in the Department of Urology and School of Nursing at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Dr. Gray earned his Master’s degree as a pediatric nurse practitioner from the University of Virginia in 1981, and certificate as a family nurse practitioner in 2000. He earned a PhD in lower urinary tract physiology from the University of Florida, in 1990. Dr. Gray is licensed as a family and pediatric nurse practitioner and holds additional certification as a urologic nurse practitioner. He is Editor-in Chief of the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing and a Board Member of the Society's Center for Clinical Investigation. He has lectured both nationally and internationally on topics related to urologic nursing, wound, ostomy and continence nursing and evidence-based practice. A fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, Dr. Gray is past president of both the Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates and Certification board for Urologic Nurses and Associates.

This special podcast is part of the Ostomy Observations Series, a brand-new 6-part series that is included in the "Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow" Program and is commercially supported through an educational grant from Hollister Incorporated. On this month’s episode we sit down with Stephanie Yates, MSN, RN, ANP-BC, CWOCN, and Janet Stoia Davis, RN, CWOCN, FCN, to discuss sex and sexual function with people living with ostomies. Stephanie Yates holds a BSN from UNC-Chapel Hill and an MSN from Duke University with a primary focus in adult oncology. She later completed a Post Masters certificate as an adult nurse practitioner. Her WOC nursing training was completed at Emory in 1981. Practicing for over 40 years, ostomy patients have always been a large part of her practice.Active with her local UOAA chapter since 1981, she serves as program chair and professional advisor. In her current professional position, she sees patients throughout the Duke Cancer Center, in all stages of treatment and survival. Over half of her clinical time involves ostomy patients, either pre-op, immediately post-op or at any point following ostomy surgery. Janet Stoia Davis has been a CWOCN since 1985 and has practiced in a variety of settings over the past 36 years. She is currently in private WOC nurse practice with a focus on ostomy care and runs outpatient ostomy clinics serving different populations. She is the current chair of the National Conference Planning Committee for the WOCN® Society. She has done numerous presentations on ostomy care and worked on publications on ostomy quality of life and wound management. This podcast is part of the OstomyObservations Podcast Series, a brand-new 6-part series that is included in the "Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow" Program. Both the podcast series and the Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow Program are commercially supported through an educational grant from Hollister Incorporated. For additional information, please visit: wocn.org/exceptionaloutcomes. The WOCN® Society does not endorse or support products or services.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Jerri Drain, BSN, RN, CWON and Monica Timko-Progar, BSN, RN, ET, CWS®, FACCWS, two of the authors of the WOCNext® 2022 ePoster, “Implementation of an Evidence-based, Content Validated, Standardized Support Surface Algorithm Tool in Home Health Care: A Quality Improvement Project.” Jerri and Monica share with us the initiatives that caused them to develop the quality improvement project, the process of implementing and managing the use of the algorithm, and the overall success of the project. Episode Resources: Click here to view the abstract “Implementation of an Evidence-based, Content Validated, Standardized Support Surface Algorithm Tool in Home Health Care: A Quality Improvement Project” Click here to view the interactive ePoster from WOCNext 2022. Click here to view the WOCN Support Surface Algorithm Click here to view all WOCNext 2022 accepted abstracts and ePosters. About the Speakers: Jerri Drain, MBA, BSN, RN, has been a registered nurse for 25 years and a CWON for almost 20 years. She has 25 years of experience in home care. She has an MBA in Health Care Administration. She has worked in her role as Wound Care Director at Amedisys Home Health care for 17+ years, focusing on numerous Quality Improvement Initiations in the areas of wound and ostomy care. Monica Timko-Progar, BSN, RN, ET, CWS, FACCWS, has been in the Home Health Care industry since 1985. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, she has served in a variety of roles and positions in home health and hospice care starting as a field clinician. In 1993, she completed advanced training as a Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse. Since that time, she has practiced in her area of expertise providing consultative services and education until functioning as the Corporate AVP of Wound Care Excellence at Amedisys Home Health and Hospice Care. She received her Certified Wound Specialist credentials in 2008 and is a Fellow of the American College of Certified Wound Specialists. She is a member of the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®), the American Board of Wound Management, and the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care. She has served as a board member for the American College of Clinical Wound Specialists serving in the role of treasurer and also Chairperson of the vendor committee. She has also participated as a Key Opinion Leader for ConvaTec ostomy division and is a charter member of the Coalition for at-risk skin (CARS) that recently constructed 21 consensus statements for at-risk skin with a subsequent article to be published. Monica is the author of several articles and has had poster presentations at both the WOCN Society and the Symposium for the Advancement of Wound Care (SAWC) conferences. She was a guest speaker at the WOCN annual conference in Nashville, TN in June 2014, and at the WOCNext® annual conference in Ft. Worth, TX in 2022. Monica and her Amedisys wound care colleagues were recently awarded the Clinical Practice Manuscript award by the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®), recognizing their contribution to clinical care, for their quality improvement project entitled; “Implementation of an Evidenced Based Content Validation Standardized Ostomy Algorithm Tool in Home Health Care”.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with MaryAnne Lewis, BSN, RN, BSN, CWOCN as she shares insights into her experience transitioning from adult to pediatric wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) care. Mary discusses how she went from adult to pediatric care, what surprised her the most with the transition, and the biggest similarities and differences between the two patient populations. Episode Resources: Click here to access the WOCN Clinical Tools. About the Speaker: MaryAnne Lewis, BSN, RN, BSN, CWOCN, has been a practicing nurse for almost 40 years. Most of her career has been dedicated to wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nursing with a focus on the adult and pediatric patient populations.

This special podcast is part of the Ostomy Observations Series, a brand-new 6-part series that is included in the "Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow" Program and is commercially supported through an educational grant from Hollister Incorporated. On this month’s episode we sit down with Michelle Rice, MSN, RN, CWOCN to speak about the topic, “Do It Myself - Promoting Independence in Pediatric Ostomy Care” Michelle Rice, MSN, RN, CWOCN, has been a WOC nurse since 1999 and currently practices at Duke University Hospital. Michelle's primary population is pediatrics and focuses on wound care and ostomy care. This podcast is part of the OstomyObservations Podcast Series, a brand-new 6-part series that is included in the "Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow" Program. Both the podcast series and the Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow Program are commercially supported through an educational grant from Hollister Incorporated. For additional information, please visit: wocn.org/exceptionaloutcomes. The WOCN® Society does not endorse or support products or services.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we talk with Holly Hovan, MSN, APRN, GERO-BC, CWOCN-AP, presenting author of the poster titled, “Implementing and Sustaining a Nurse Driven Skin Tear Protocol in Long-Term Care” presented at WOCNext® 2022. Holly shares insights about this nurse-led protocol to prevent and treat skin tears. Episode Resources: View the abstract for the poster “Implementing and Sustaining a Nurse Driven Skin Tear Protocol in Long-Term Care” or view the interactive ePoster View all accepted abstracts and ePosters from WOCNext 2022 Learn more about the Wound Treatment Associate (WTA) Program About the Speaker: Holly Hovan is an advanced practice wound, ostomy, and continence nurse at the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System in Cleveland, OH. Holly specializes in caring for our older adult/geriatric population with WOC needs. She has been an RN for nearly 15 years and an APRN for 10 years, with all years of APRN practice being in WOC nursing. A large majority of her time in healthcare has been spent caring for older adults and in academia as a clinical and lab instructor for nursing students. Holly enjoys education, program development, and inspiring and educating others to expand their knowledge and practice. Holly brought the WOCN® Society's Wound Treatment Association (WTA) Program to her healthcare facility in July of 2020 and has served as the clinical instructor and course coordinator since its inception. Currently, approximately 80 nurses have completed the program with over 40 earning board the WTA-C® certification, and more to come. Practicing mostly in long-term and skilled nursing care, Holly has seen and treated many skin tears given the changes that occur with the skin as we age. She saw a need for nurse-driven protocol related to skin tears in her facility and was able to implement this with the support of leadership. It has been a success for the past 4½ years and has been expanded to other areas of the healthcare system due to the success and sustainability.

This special podcast is part of the Ostomy Observations Series, a brand-new 6-part series that is included in the "Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow" Program and is commercially supported through an educational grant from Hollister Incorporated. On this month’s episode we sit down with Christine Berke, MSN, APRN-NP, CWOCN-AP, AGPCNP-BC to speak about the topic, “In the Thick of It- Modifying Stool Consistency with Fecal Stomas”. Chris is a Nurse Practitioner at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. She is a full-time provider in the Wound & Ostomy Clinic and has been instrumental in expanding the services there over the last 13 years. Chris served on the National WOCN® Society Board of Directors for 6 years; for 2 years as a Director and then 4 years as the Secretary. She previously completed a 5-year term on the Advanced Practice Exam Committee of the WOCNCB® and served as the Chair of that Committee for 2 years. During her tenure, she helped developed, write, and launch the 3 inaugural exams for Advanced Practices nurses in the field of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing. She has been a nurse for 39 years, a WOC nurse for 21 years, and an Advanced Practice nurse for 14 years. She has published several WOC-related articles in peer-reviewed journals and has helped co-author two book chapters. Listen in to learn more about Chris’ experience with stool consistency, principles to follow when managing patients, general categories of medications to help manage patients, and more. This podcast is part of the OstomyObservations Podcast Series, a brand-new 6-part series that is included in the "Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow" Program. Both the podcast series and the Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow Program are commercially supported through an educational grant from Hollister Incorporated. For additional information, please visit: wocn.org/exceptionaloutcomes. The WOCN® Society does not endorse or support products or services. Episode Resources: View the WOC Core Curriculum Books View Diet and Nutrition information from the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) This webpage contains a sign-up form for Short Bowel Syndrome-related resources with an option to receive a complimentary copy of The Adult Patient’s Guide to Managing a Short Bowel, 5th Edition, by Carol Rees Parrish, MS, RDN Short Bowel Syndrome Practical Approach to Management: Practical Approach to Management by John K. DiBaise, Carol Rees Parrish, and Jon S. Thompson is available on Amazon Please note the WOCN® Society does not endorse or support products or services.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we talk with Alyson Sweeney, DHlth, MNg, RN, author of the article titled, “Long-term Suprapubic Catheter–Related Care Requirements When Living at Home: Development of a Best Practice Guide” published in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®), the official journal of the WOCN® Society. The purpose of this study was to develop a best practice guideline specific to the health care needs of adults living at home with a long-term suprapubic catheter (SPC). Episode Resources: Click here to read the JWOCN article “Long-term Suprapubic Catheter–Related Care Requirements When Living at Home: Development of a Best Practice Guide”. About the Speaker: Dr. Alyson Sweeney is an RN and clinical researcher with over 20 years expertise in continence and subspecialty, urinary catheter related nursing care. She is the clinical lead of the Community Continence Service in the South of Tasmania, Australia. Her Professional Doctorate was from the University of Tasmania (2021). Her research focused on the development of a best practice guideline for the care of people who live with a long-term suprapubic catheter. This project was undertaken to address healthcare gaps that were identified in her master’s thesis (Flinders University, 2006) that explored people’s experiences of living with a long-term suprapubic catheter. Alyson has extensive knowledge in contemporary long-term catheter related care and her commitment to improve the wellbeing of this cohort is evidenced through her sustained engagement with this topic.