2007-04-10 16:10:12 -
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., April 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The young mother can still recall the whirl of emotions ... an infant, born prematurely, with complications -- an imperforate anus that would require the child to wear a colostomy bag. Exhausted and terrified, the woman became hopeful with the arrival of the Wound, Ostomy & Continence (WOC) Nurse. Highly trained and sensitive to the emotionally charged situation, the nurse applied her expertise to tend to the child and to prepare the mother to care for the baby. Encounters such as this
are all in a days work for WOC Nurses. Described as heroes and lifesavers that lead and educate with technical proficiency and compassion, WOC Nurses are valuable members of the medical team.
During April 15 through April 21, the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses (WOCN) Society will recognize WOC Nurses for the valuable services they provide to more than 5 million Americans who suffer from non-healing wounds, a half million Americans who have ostomies, and approximately 11 million Americans who endure urinary and fecal incontinence.
PATIENTS RANGE FROM INFANTS TO SENIORS
The profession traces its roots to 1968 when an ostomy patient realized how important post operative support was to recovery. The field eventually evolved to include patients afflicted with chronic and acute wounds caused by pressure ulcers, diabetes and venous insufficiency, as well as individuals suffering from fecal and urinary incontinence.
The ailments treated by these nurses are not restricted by age. In Neonatal Intensive Care Units across the country, premature infants battle Hirschprung's Disease or Necrotizing Enterocolitis, conditions that often require ostomies. These tiny NICU patients may have also had tracheotomies or gastrostomies. WOC Nurses are on the front lines tending to patients and teaching parents to comfortably address the child's needs and is also a constant resource to the family.
WOC Nurses assist with diabetic wound care, traumatic injuries, burns, pressure ulcers, and incontinence management. Children with spina bifida are especially susceptible to chronic wounds and may suffer bowel and bladder incontinence. The WOC Nurse's expertise is essential in helping patients establish incontinence management.
Throughout adolescence, the teenage years and middle age, WOC Nurses treat a variety of conditions. As patients enter the senior years, medical issues and are also more likely to present with chronic wound care issues from leg ulcers, pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, arterial ulcers, atypical wounds and skin tears. The elderly also experience a higher percentage of chronic wounds than the rest of the population.
Whatever the life stage, WOC Nurses are trained to address the physical, emotional and social issues of patients with ostomies, stomas and wounds. They practice in a variety of settings and offer a tremendous amount of technical assistance, comfort and support to patients and their families. National Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Week is a time to pay tribute to those who practice in the field.
For more information, visit http://www.wocn.org/.
Source: Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society
