On this episode of WOCTalk we sit down with Mary Willis, MS, RN, CWOCN and Diane Bryant, MS, RN, CWOCN of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA to discuss their recent poster at WOCNext 2019. The poster, titled “Collecting Data to Advocate for Additional WOC Resources: YOU CAN DO IT!” outlined how data they collected drove the decision to hire an additional WOC nurse to handle the workload in their urban, academic medical center. Listen in to learn more about Mary and Diane’s clinical backgrounds, their association with the WOCN Society and how they developed a compelling needs assessment document and proposal to acquire additional WOC nurse resources.

The abstract for Mary and Diane’s co-authored poster, “Collecting Data to Advocate for Additional WOC Resources: YOU CAN DO IT!”, can be found by clicking here.

Need help demonstrating your value as a WOC nurse? The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, 2nd Edition provides a valuable resource for WOC nurses to promote excellence in professional and specialty practice, quality care, improved patient outcomes; and it can be used to articulate the importance and value of WOC nurses to administrators, legislators, payers, patients, and others. The updated document, available for purchase in the WOCN Society’s Bookstore, provides an overview of the scope of WOC nursing practice including the following: description, definition, history and evolution of WOC nursing; characteristics of WOC nursing practice; description of the tri-specialty; WOC nurse roles, populations served, and practice settings; care coordination and collaboration by WOC nurses; education preparation and levels of WOC nurse providers; certification for WOC nursing; mandate for continuous professional development; ethics in WOC nursing; current issues and trends that influence WOC nursing; future considerations and challenges for WOC nursing; and standards of WOC nursing practice and professional performance with competencies for each standard.