In This Issue of JWOCN
From its birth in 1972, the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing has grown from a quarterly newsletter to an indexed journal with an impact factor reflecting its role as the premiere journal for WOC specialty nursing practice. Beginning with issue 1 of volume 40, the Journal will feature special article celebrating 40 years of publishing excellence. The first feature, authored by myself and Managing Editor Gary Mawyer, provides a brief history of the Journal and its evolving role as the WOCN Society's official publication.
This issue opens with an article that is important for every WOC nurse, regardless of practice setting. Bonnie Westra, Donna Bliss, Kay Savik, Yuefeng Hou, and Andrew Borchert present their first research report documenting the effectiveness of WOC nurses practicing in home health agencies. They evaluated 2 main outcomes, wound care and incontinence management. This article easily qualifies as must read and must cite for every WOC nurse because it provides badly needed research documenting the positive impact of WOC nurses on multiple clinical outcomes.
This issue's Wound Care section opens with an executive summary of the WOC Clinical Practice Guideline for patients with lower extremity neuropathic disease. This executive summary, authored by Penny Crawford and Myra Varnado on behalf of the Wound Guidelines Task Force, also qualifies as must read for any WOC nurses managing patients with a diabetic foot ulcer.
Bette Schumacher, Mary Askew, and Kathy Otten describe development and early implementation of a brief trigger tool comprising 3 questions designed to prompt neonatal intensive care unit nursing staff to identify neonates at risk for pressure ulcer development. You will want to read this well-written article to determine whether the trigger questions might play a role in your program for pressure ulcer prevention in this complex and vulnerable population.
Gary Grove, Charles Zerweck, Timothy Houser, Graham Smith, and Nancy Koski report results of a randomized controlled trial that compared gentleness of a silicone tape to a paper tape in a group of 28 healthy volunteers, aged 55 year and older. You will want to read this article to learn more about the latest efforts on the part of industry partners to develop adhesive products and both adhere to the skin, while preserving its integrity when the product is removed during dressing changes or similar procedures.
This issue's Ostomy Care section begins with a study that examined ostomy-specific concerns in persons with colorectal cancer who have lived with an ostomy for more than 5 years. Authored by Virginia Sun, Marcia Grant, Carmit McMullen, Andrea Altschuler, Jane Mohler, Mark Hornbrook, Lisa Herrinton, Carol Baldwin, and Robert Krouse, this article is must read for every WOC nurse who participates in the management of persons with a permanent ostomy. This cogent article also qualifies as must read because it documents the need for ongoing contact with an ostomy nurse.
Kevin Ong, Olivia Herdiman, Liana Johnson, and Nathan Lawrentschuk summarized their clinical experience managing patients with urothelial cancer undergoing orthotopic neobladder in the first of a 2-part series of articles. Part 1 focuses on patient selection and preoperative counseling. You will want to read this comprehensive article to enhance your knowledge about how these patients are managed at the University of Melbourne, and to compare their recommendations with your facility's plan for caring for patients undergoing this major reconstructive procedure.
This issue's Continence Care section opens with a research report summarizing barriers and complications associated with clean intermittent catheterization. The study is unique because the sample population comprised community-dwelling persons with multiple sclerosis or nonneurogenic causes of urinary retention rather than persons with paralyzing spinal cord disorders such as spinal cord injury or myelodysplasia most commonly studied. You will want to read this clinically relevant study authored by Rosemary Bolinger and Sandra Engberg to learn more about the duration of clean intermittent catheterization, its impact on health-related quality of life, and associated complications.
What is the Paula method and what does it have to do with continence care? You can answer both of these pertinent questions after you read the research report by M. Liebergal-Wischnitzer, O. Plaitel, Y. Lavy, D. Shveiky, O. Manor, and D. Hochner-Celnieker, who compared the efficacy of the Paula Method to pelvic floor muscle training in 143 women 6 months following initial training. You will want to read this innovative article to learn more about this alternative method for training the pelvic floor muscles and improving stress urinary incontinence.
Linda Organist and Sandra Engberg provide this issue's WOC Consult with a case study of a 69-year-old man experiencing urinary retention. This popular feature of the Journal qualifies as must read for any WOC nurse involved in the management of patients with incomplete bladder emptying.
The Clinical Challenges feature explores an alternative treatment approach for managing patients with open abdominal wounds complicated by an enterocutaneous fistula. Chanpreet Arhi and Ahmed El-Gaddal discuss the use of topical therapy for a patient with an open abdominal wound and fistula that could not be safely managed with negative pressure wound therapy. You will want to read this article to remind yourself of the value of topical therapy as primary management for selected patients with open abdominal wounds and fistulae.
The Spotlight on Research feature is authored by Melissa Northwood. It focuses on selection of a validated instrument for the evaluation of fecal or anal incontinence. You will want to read this article to identify and consider which of the growing number of instruments may be appropriate for your practice.