8.30am - Registrations Open
9.00am - Evidence-based Wound Care
The use of evidence-based medicine is now a fundamental aspect of high quality care. Nurses are now expected to use evidence to guide practice. This introductory session reviews the notion of evidence-based practice including its meaning and use and how this will relate to high quality wound care.
-
How to become an evidence-based wound practitioner.
-
Which processes will best help you gain and apply appropriate knowledge?
10.30am - Morning tea and coffee
11.00am - Performing a Vascular Assessment of a Person
Vascular disease is responsible for many chronic wounds - particularly those affecting the lower limbs. In this session we will look at a range of assessment indicators including the use of tools such as Dopplers to detect vascular function, and clinical assessment techniques e.g. pedal pulse, skin temperature and colour assessment. Documentation of wounds including when an how frequently documentation should occur will be included.
-
What is a wound audit?
-
Review of the correct way to palpate pulses.
-
What is the 'toe index' and why is it relevant?
-
Assessing the colour of a wound and interpreting the results.
-
How to describe the depth of a wound.
-
Understanding exudates.
-
Defining pressure ulcers.
12.00pm - Diabetes and Wound Healing
This session commences with an overview of diabetes and the impact it has on wound healing. There is a focus on the effect that diabetic neuropathy has on human body and why this causes so many problems once a wound occurs. Revision on normal healing is included. The impact that infections have on healing is also discussed.
-
When a person has diabetes, what pathophysiological changes can be expected and how will this impact on a). causing wounds to occur and b). wound healing?
-
Why does diabetes cause intractable problems such as neuropathy?
-
What special problems are likely to emerge in regard to wound healing if a person has diabetes?
12.30pm - Shortened Lunch Break and Networking
1.15pm - Wound Dermatology
Skin disease can significantly affect wound healing. Skin diseases are sometimes the result of other serious underlying pathologies e.g. AIDS - Karposi's Sarcoma, whilst others, such as eczema, are generally considered a primary skin disease. In this session, we will look at a range of skin diseases - what causes them and how they cause wounds or impact on wound healing. There will be a large range of images presented in this session to illustrate how these skin lesions present.
-
Learn the terminology associated with skin lesions.
-
What is the difference between contact dermatitis and foliculitis?
-
How to manage warts and other common viral skin lesions.
-
What happens to the skin when a White-tailed spider bites or a fish stings?
-
What is the "Bairnsdale (Buruli) Ulcer?
-
What do 'grooves' or 'clubbing' of the finger nails indicate?
-
What skin lesions occur with psoriasis and what is the best treatment for this?
2.45pm - Complex Wound Issues (Non-clinical)
Wounds can cause great disruption to a person's quality of life. Not only are they potentially disfiguring, but also expensive and capable of having a great impact on activities of daily living. This session looks at a range of non-clinical factors about which nurses and other health professionals need to be aware. This includes:
-
What are the social issues that are caused by complex wounds?
-
When a person is receiving palliative care, what needs to be considered when managing their wounds?
-
How can we best deal with the antisocial aspect of wounds such as odour, aesthetics etc?
-
Which life-style factors may affect the trajectory of complex wounds?
3.45pm - Close of Day One of Seminar
9:00am - Start of Day Two
9.00am - Bandaging Techniques
Not all bandages are created equal. In addition to a demonstration and explanation, this workshop will give you a 'hands on' opportunity to have a guided experience in bandaging, including information about which one to use for different circumstances.
-
Why use a bandage - purpose of the tool?
-
Selection - when to use them:
-
Crepe bandages
-
Tubular bandages
-
Cohesive bandages
-
Compression bandages including high stretch and short stretch
-
Multi-layer bandage systems
-
What assessment of circulation to the legs and feet should you make before applying an anti-embolism / compression stocking?
-
How to effectively and correctly put an anti-embolism / compression stocking on a person.
-
A look at sub-bandage pressure required for specific conditions.
-
When to use Zinc paste bandages.
10.30am - Morning tea and coffee
11.00am - Nutrition and Wound Healing
Whenever trauma occurs to the skin, additional nutrients are required to repair the wound. People need a well-balanced diet that contains enough macronutrients, as well as, certain vitamins and minerals that are involved in the repair and healing of wounds.
Proper hydration is also essential. Since some degree of malnutrition may exist in many surgical patients, proper nutrition is an important consideration in regards to the healing of surgical wounds and other injuries.
This interesting session will explore the role of nutrition in wound healing.
-
Are all wounds the same and do they all need the same nutrition to heal?
-
What role do fluids play in wound healing?
-
Which foods should be included in the diet?
-
What foods exist for those who cannot swallow and who need PEG feeding?
-
What is argentine and how does it affect wound healing?
-
A look at vitamins and minerals
12.00pm - Advanced Dressings and Technologies
Wound dressings are becoming increasingly sophisticated and expensive. However, if used correctly, seemingly expensive dressings may shorten the duration of the time a wound takes to heal, and therefore be most cost effective in the long term.
This session will review the newest dressings and will include their indication for use. It will also include an explanation and review of the use of technologies such as:
-
Negative pressure therapy
-
Hyperbaric oxygen
-
Laser treatments
-
Ultrasound therapies.
1.00pm - Lunch break
1.45pm - Antibiotics and Wound Management
Antibiotics may be used to assist in wound healing by destroying bacteria. There is now much research to guide practice in the use of antibiotics for wound management. This session looks at how a bacterial burden manifests in a wound and discusses the indications for their use.
-
Should chronic wounds be treated with antibiotics?
-
What is the role of antiseptics in wound management?
-
What are the indications for systemic antimicrobial therapy?
-
When should antibacterial dressings be applied?
-
Which resources give credible information about the appropriate use of antibiotics for wound healing?
Comments on the risks associated with antibiotic resistance.
2.45pm - Teaching Wound Care - Skill Sharing
This final sessions reminds participants of the importance of mentoring other health professionals. It promotes a professional approach to sharing the skis you develop with tour colleagues, as well as, patients and their families to improve overall outcomes.
-
Teaching in wound care
-
How to use a simple model of bedside teaching
-
Tips on becoming a 'bedside teacher'.
3.45pm - Close of Program and Evaluations
Geoff Sussman OAM JP FPS FACP FAIPM FAWMAAssociate Professor Geoff Sussman holds a positions in the Faculty of Medical and Health Science University of Auckland and the Faculty of Medicine, Monash University. Geoff is a pharmacist with many years experience as a senior director of pharmacy services in a major metropolitan teaching hospital. He is a fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, The Australian Institute of Pharmacy Management, The Australian College of Pharmacy Practice and is one of the inaugural fellows of the Australian Wound Management Association. As well, Geoff lectures on wound management to professionals involved in pharmacy, medicine, physiotherapy and nursing. He has over 100 publications including book chapters and articles on many topics and is an advisor to the Commonwealth Government. He was awarded an OAM in the Queens birthday Honours in 2006 for his work in wound care as a researcher, educator and clinician and in the sports of gymnastics and diving.
Presenting in: QLD, NSW, VIC,
Greg DuncanGreg is a pharmacist with an academic and practice background. He is currently completing his Doctorate of Public Health focussed on generating and using evidence. He teaches and practices in a multi-disciplinary context and is involved with pharmacy, medical and nursing education at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Greg has a special interest and expertise in evidence-based decision making in clinical settings. He developed and led programs improving the ways people use medicines both in Australia and also internationally where he has worked on WHO projects for implementation of new global strategies for medicines supply and use.
Presenting in: QLD, NSW, VIC,