WOCTalk

Interested in advancing your pediatric WOC care knowledge? Click here to view all active courses available for Contact Hours in the WOCN Society’s Continuing Education Center (CEC).

To view a collection of hot topic pediatric articles in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®), click here.

The Editorial Board of the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing invites Authors to submit Manuscripts. Click here for additional information.

Applications are now live for the next class of WOCN Fellows. Learn more and submit a nomination by January 30, 2026.

To view the WOCN Society’s Public Policy hot topics and resources, click here.
 

About the Speaker
Ferne Elsass is a dedicated Wound and Ostomy Nurse based in Norfolk, VA, bringing over 26 years of experience in pediatric nursing. Her clinical background includes extensive work in neonatal and pediatric intensive care, as well as trauma education. Ferne holds a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in nursing from Liberty University. She completed her wound and ostomy certification through the WebWOC program at Metropolitan State University and received local clinical training. For the past three years, Ferne has served as a Clinical Resource Specialist with Smith and Nephew, focusing on the advanced wound care portfolio. Her expertise in pediatric wound and ostomy care has been nationally recognized through published journal articles and two book chapters. Ferne has presented her work both nationally and internationally, contributing significantly to education and advancement in the field. A committed leader in the wound care community, Ferne is the Past President of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society, reflecting her dedication to supporting professional development and best practices across the region. She was inducted as a member of the 2024 Class of WOCN Fellows.
 

Resources:

American Cancer Society

American College of Surgeons Ostomy Home Skills Program

Corstrata Virtual Ostomy Support Services

Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America

Embracing Ostomy Life

Girls With Guts

JWOCN® articles:

Outcome Criteria for Discharging the Patient With a New Ostomy From Home Health Care

Survey Results on Use of a Convex Pouching System in the Postoperative Period

Preoperative Stoma Site Marking Decreases Stoma and Peristomal Complications

Characteristics of Convex Skin Barriers and Clinical Application

Ostomy101

Ostomy and Continent Diversion Patient Bill of Rights (PBOR)

Ostomy Care Associate (OCA®) Program

Ostomy Connection

Phoenix magazine

Peristomal Skin Assessment Guide

Travel Communication Card

United Ostomy Associations of America

Watch the symposia session from WOCNext® 2025, (S03) Anticipatory Guidance: Elevating Future Ostomy Care

About the Speaker:

Debra Netsch, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CNP, CWOCN-AP, CFCN, has been a WOC nurse for 40 years and a Family Nurse Practitioner for 29 years. In practicing part time of both, she has realized the need for anticipatory guidance models from primary care needing to be extended into the WOC Nurse practice. As a Co-Director and faculty of WEB WOC, it is natural that educating WOC Nurses on this topic evolves to teaching anticipatory guidance.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Episode Resources

The WOCN DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses with a Bright Future is provided by the WOCN Society, a supportive association of the DAISY Foundation, to recognize a new tri-specialty wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) certified nurse within the first five (5) years of WOC practice who is destined to make a significant contribution to WOC nursing as a compassionate clinician, educator, consultant, researcher, administrator, and professional leader. Nominations are being accepted now through January 9, 2026. To learn more visit wocn.org/DAISY 

To learn more about the work of The DAISY Foundation, visit daisyfoundation.org.

Click here to learn more and purchase the 25th Anniversary Edition of the book by DAISY Foundation co-founders, "Shining the Light on All the Right”.

About The DAISY Foundation
In 1999, Bonnie's stepson Patrick, age 33, developed the auto-immune disease ITP.  Bonnie and her husband Mark were at his side when Patrick died after 8 weeks in the hospital. The nursing care they experienced during Pat’s hospitalization compelled them to express their gratitude to nurses everywhere for the clinical skill and especially compassionate care nurses provide every day. This is why The Barnes’s created The DAISY Foundation™ (an acronym for diseases attacking the immune system) and The DAISY Award® for Extraordinary Nurses.

Today, The DAISY Award is celebrated in over 7,500 healthcare facilities and nursing schools in 44 countries.  Over 260,000 nurses have been honored, having been nominated by their patients, patient families, and colleagues. Each nomination (over 3.5 million to date) tells the story of extraordinary compassion and care provided to a patient. The impact of these stories’ public DAISY Award celebrations on nurses and their organizations is well documented. The DAISY Award provides healthcare leaders the means to highlight all the “right” going on in their organizations, providing great role-modeling opportunities and a way to make tangible the organizations’ mission and values. The program helps drive organizational culture, inspires and motivates extraordinary nursing, nourishes teamwork, enhances nurse engagement, promotes the professional image of nursing, and helps offsets compassion fatigue with compassion satisfaction.

As additional expressions of gratitude to nurses, the Foundation funds grants for nurses doing research and EBP projects and for nurses going on medical missions.

DAISY’s goal is to honor nurses wherever they practice, wherever they are in their careers – across the continuum of care and internationally.

Resources

To listen to Michelle Rice’s previous Ostomy Observations episode from Season 3 titled “Managing Pediatric Ostomy Patients: Practice Pearls”, click here.

To learn more about Youth Rally, a one of a kind camp experience for youth living with conditions of the bowel and/or bladder system, click here.

Camp Boggy Creek makes it possible for children with serious illnesses and their families to experience a free, life-changing camp where safety, respect, love, and joy come together to enrich their physical and behavioral health. To learn more, click here.

The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Camp Oasis gives kids living with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis a space to just be kids. They provide a safe environment where friendships ignite, confidence soars, and epic adventures become life-long memories. Camp Oasis is FUN without the fear of judgment or feeling different. To learn more about Camp Oasis, click here. 

Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®) articles referenced in this episode:

Adolescent Perspectives Following Ostomy Surgery: A Grounded Theory Study
 

Other articles referenced in this episode:

A call for action: Recommendations to improve transition to adult care for youth with complex health care needs

Episode resources:

United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA)

Colorectal Cancer Alliance

Colon Cancer Coalition

About the Speakers:

Daniel “Dry Dock” Shockley is a retired Navy veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. In 2012, at age 51, he was diagnosed with attenuated Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (AFAP) following his first colonoscopy, despite being asymptomatic and having no family history. He underwent a successful total proctocolectomy with a permanent ileostomy immediately after receiving his DNA germline test results.

Since his diagnosis, Daniel has served as an ostomy ambassador for both the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) and involved with the WOCN® Society in supporting ostomy patient education and advocacy. Drawing on his military experience, he embraces challenges with a mindset of adaptability, resilience, and positivity. Over the past 12 years, he has collaborated with ostomy organizations and patients nationally and internationally, advocating for awareness and reducing stigma associated with ostomies. His efforts include securing Ostomy Awareness Day proclamations and resolutions from local legislative members. His personal mantra: Always Forge Ahead with a Purpose!

Joyce Moss, ADN, BSN, MNM, MSc Wound Healing & Tissue Repair, RN, CWS, CWCN, CWON, is an accomplished wound and ostomy care nurse with over 30 years of experience, including expertise in compression management for edema/lymphedema, pressure injury prevention and treatment, and incontinence management. She has coordinated care across outpatient and inpatient settings and led the development of a wound and ostomy clinic that improved patient access and outcomes.

An exceptional educator, Joyce has trained and mentored nurses, consulted with medical and surgical residents, and delivered lectures and in-services. She provides guidance and support to ostomates and their families, organizes patient education events, and authors support group newsletters. Joyce’s work emphasizes both clinical excellence and compassionate patient-centered care.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

About the Speakers:

Jennifer Rowe, BSN, RN, CWON, Kelsey Swiss, BSN, RN, CWOCN, and Melanie Vinette, BSN, RN, CWON, CMSRN, are part of a six-member WOC nursing team dedicated to providing comprehensive, patient-centered care. Their work spans inpatient and outpatient settings, including an outpatient ostomy clinic and a monthly ostomy support group. The team collaborates closely with colorectal surgeons, general surgeons, and surgical nurse practitioners to coordinate care, provide preoperative education, and mark stomas.

Education is a core focus for their team, delivered through on-the-floor real-time teaching, Med-Surg and NICU academies, shadow experiences with student nurses and new hires, and a nursing assistant academy. They also participate in the hospital’s value analysis committee, introducing new products and implementing cost-effective strategies while ensuring the highest quality of patient care. Their approach emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and mentorship to support both patients and the next generation of nurses.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Resources

Click here to view and use the Peristomal Skin Assessment Guide for Clinicians and Consumers. You can also bookmark and/or share the following web address with your colleagues and patients: psag.wocn.org.

Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®) articles referenced in this episode:

A Randomized Controlled Trial Determining Variances in Ostomy Skin Conditions and the Economic Impact (ADVOCATE Trial)

Lessons Learned About Peristomal Skin Complications Secondary Analysis of the ADVOCATE Trial

The Incidence of Stoma and Peristomal Complications During the First 3 Months After Ostomy Creation

Peristomal Skin Itch: An Integrative Review

Other articles referenced in this episode:

Peristomal Dermatology

Assessment of itch: more to be learned and improvements to be made

Psychometric validation of the Ostomy Skin Tool 2.0

About the Speaker
Joyce Pittman, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, CWOCN, WOCNF, FAAN
Dr. Pittman is an Associate Professor at University of South Alabama and nurse scientist at USA Health focusing on pressure injuries, health/racial disparities, and ostomy complications. She is a certified Wound, Ostomy, Continence nurse, Adult/Family Nurse Practitioner, WOCN Fellow, past National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) Vice President, and the 2025-2026 Treasurer of the WOCN® Society.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Episode Resources:

LEAD Guideline (4th Edition)

Mobile Guideline Series

Knowledge-to-Action Framework - Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO)

PAD National Action Plan - American Heart Association

Get With the Guidelines - American Heart Association

2024 LEAD Guideline Executive Summary - Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®)

ECRI Guidelines Trust

World Federation of Vascular Societies

International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF)

WOCNext® Conference Sessions

WOCN Society Document Library: Wound Resources

About the Speaker:

Phyllis Bonham, PhD, MSN, RN, CWOCN, DPNAP, FAAN, brings nearly 60 years of nursing experience, with more than 50 years dedicated to wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) care in clinical, academic, administrative, and research roles. She developed and directed the WOCN® Society–Accredited Wound Care Education Program at MUSC for 17 years and is widely recognized as a speaker, educator, and published author in peer-reviewed journals and textbooks on lower-extremity arterial disease (LEAD) and wound management.

Since 2000, Dr. Bonham has played a leading role on WOCN Society Clinical Guideline Task Forces, contributing to the development and updates of 13 evidence-based guidelines addressing wounds from LEAD, lower extremity venous disease (LEVD), diabetes/neuropathy, and pressure injuries. She has chaired the Wound Guidelines Task Force since 2012 and served as a primary author for the 2024 LEAD guideline update, as well as co-author of multiple executive summaries published in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®).

Her service to the WOCN Society includes leadership as President-Elect (2007–2009), President (2009–2011), and Past President (2011–2012), as well as roles as Clinical Editor (2011–2017), Co-Section Editor for wound research for JWOCN, and faculty for the Wound Treatment Associate (WTA®) Program Committee.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Episode Resources:

WOCNext Abstract Details

Abstract Author Resources

ePoster Information

Previous Accepted Abstracts

Abstracts in JWOCN® Online Supplement

Interested in an abstract mentor? Email [email protected]

About the Speaker:
Donna Bliss, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, WOCNF, is a Professor, Chair of the Adult and Gerontological Health Cooperative, and School of Nursing Foundation Professor of Nursing Research at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, Minneapolis, MN. She has 25 years of funded research and 125+ publications and presentations about assessing, preventing, and managing fecal incontinence and incontinence associated skin damage. She is a forerunner in investigating disparities in skin damage and assessing dark skin. Donna is an active member of the WOCN® Society and is the 202-2026 WOCNext® Abstract Chair. During the WOCNext 2023 event, Donna was awarded the Barbara Braden Future is Bright Award and was also inducted into the inaugural class of the WOCN Fellow Program.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Resources

Click here to learn about United Ostomy Associates of America (UOAA) National Quality Ostomy Care Campaign, including the Ostomy and Continent Diversion Patient Bill of Rights,.

Click here to view a list of patient resources that the WOCN Society has curated, including services, products, and publications. You can also bookmark and/or share the following web address with your colleagues and patients: IDeserveaWOCNurse.com.

Click here to view and use the Peristomal Skin Assessment Guide for Clinicians and Consumers,. You can also bookmark and/or share the following web address with your colleagues and patients: psag.wocn.org.

Click here to learn more about Janet’s session at WOCNext® 2025, “I Have an Ostomy, Where can I go?: Challenges of Setting Up An Ostomy Clinic,.”

The WOCN Society, in collaboration with the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) and the American Urological Association (AUA), developed the educational resources to assist clinicians in selecting an effective stoma site. Click here to review these resources.

If you're a healthcare professional looking to deepen your knowledge of ostomy care, explore the joint WOCN and ASCRS Ostomy Care Management (OCM) Program—an evidence-based, online education designed to enhance care delivery and improve outcomes for individuals living with an ostomy. Click here to learn more.

Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®) articles referenced in this episode:
Bridging the Gap: Perceived Educational Needs in the Inpatient to Home Care Setting for the Person With a New Ostomy

Lessons Learned About Peristomal Skin Complications Secondary Analysis of the ADVOCATE Trial

Ostomy and Continent Diversion Patient Bill of Rights Research Validation of Standards of Care

Other articles referenced in this episode: 
The ostomy leak impact tool: development and validation of a new patient-reported tool to measure the burden of leakage in ostomy device users

Impact of stoma leakage in everyday life: data from the Ostomy Life Study 2019

Factors impairing quality of life for people with an ostomy

About the Speaker
Janet has enjoyed 40 years in WOC Nursing. Although her early nursing career focus was critical care as a certified critical care registered nurse she certified as a CWOCN in 1985. In 1996, she embarked in a private WOC practice, first as a partnership and then as sole proprietor practicing across the continuum with a focus on ostomy care coupled with a passion for patients attaining their desirable quality of life. Janet worked in outpatient ostomy clinics serving different populations and challenges... adding a bit of spice to her practice and recently retired from patient care.

Janet lectures nationally and internationally, has published on Quality of Life of People Living with an Ostomy and co-authored both a home study course on Wound Management & Healing and an educational video on Common Perineal Skin Injuries, and. She participates in Ostomy and Incontinence Associated Dermatitis research and actively participates with WOCN and industry to move ostomy care forward. Her peers awarded her the PCR* ET Nurse of the Year Award in 1996, PCR* President’s Award in 2000 and PCR* Professional Educational Award in 2004.

*PCR stands for the Pacific Coast Region of the WOCN Society, what is now known as the Pacific Coast Chapter of the WOCN Society (or PCC for short). The WOCN Society has 11 chapters throughout the country that support WOCN members at a local level with resources, education, networking opportunities, social gatherings, timely information, and more. For additional information, please visit wocn.org/Chapters.
 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.