2 Day Seminar for all Nurses, General Practitioners, Podiatrists, Pharmacists and Occupational Therapists etc.

Ausmed's Wound Management seminar is an essential and very popular course for healthcare professionals including: nurses, general practitioners, podiatrists, pharmacists and occupational therapists. It is based on latest evidence for effective wound management. You will learn about:

• How to assess and manage chronic and acute wounds
• Dressing selection, nutrition, compression therapy and bandaging
• Strong focus on foundation principles of wound management
• How to incorporate a patient centred approach to care

Ausmed has a long standing track record in educating thousands of nurses and other health practitioners across Australia on this topic. Our experienced presenters are popular and extremely adept educators who are consistently very highly evaluated. Don’t miss out - Book Now!

Nearly half a million Australians are affected by wounds in some way. It is predicted that the prevalence and cost of wound care will rise exponentially over the next few years because of the ageing population. Many chronic wounds including pressure injuries are preventable. Comprehensive assessment guides treatment. Knowledge of foundation principles of wound care is essential. Additionally, new wound dressing products are becoming increasingly sophisticated. If best patient outcomes are to be achieved, applying evidenced wound management is essential.

The purpose of this program is to provide health professionals with up-to-date information, tools and strategies for evidenced wound care that result in best patient outcomes.

8:30am - Registration and Refreshments

9:00am

This introductory session looks at modern wound management – the challenges of wounds, trends in care, best-practice resources and how this program will address these issues. Topics include:

• What is the burden of chronic wounds in today’s society?
• “The patient will see you now” - implementing patient-centred care
• Why do best-practice resources significantly help in planning management?
• How will these two days be structured to enhance your knowledge of wound management?

9:45am

Refresh your knowledge on the process of wound healing and discover the latest information about the factors that delay or impede effective outcomes. Topics include:

• What is a wound?
• How do wounds heal?
• What delays or prevents healing?

10:30am - Morning Tea and Coffee

11:00pm

Competent assessment of a person with a wound is imperative for correct management. Assessment involves a range of considerations including the wound, the person and their environment. Topics include:

• How do you undertake a structured, systematic assessment?
• How do personal characteristics and the environment impact on wound healing?
• How do you document your assessment?
• How do you know if the wound will heal or not?
• What are your goals of care and how do you set them?

12:00pm

Some wounds are acute and need urgent and appropriate care to facilitate healing. This session will look briefly at a range of acute wounds associated with sudden tissue disruption and damage. Topics include:

• Minor burns
• Skin tears
• Skin grafts and donor sites
• Surgical wound management
• Skin cancers

1:00pm - Lunch Break and Networking

2:00pm

Today in Australia it is estimated that 400,000 people suffer from venous leg ulcers. There is a strong body of evidence that describes how these ulcers should be managed, but the gap between evidence and practice is wide. This session will clarify how to identify and manage leg ulcers according to the evidence for best outcomes. Topics include:

• What causes leg ulcers?
• What is the difference between a venous and an arterial ulcer and why is this differentiation very important?
• What is the current best practice for leg ulcer management?

3:00pm - Afternoon Tea and Coffee

3:15pm

Compression therapy is the cornerstone of venous leg ulcer management. This final session of day one will explore some key aspects of compression therapy. Includes:

• When should compression therapy be worn?
• What level of compression is required?
• What types of compression are available?
• What are the risks?
• How do you apply compression?

4:00pm - Close of Day One of Program

9:00am - Commencement of Day Two

9:00am

Diabetes is the fastest growing condition in the world. Badly controlled diabetes leads to a raft of health problems, including foot ulcer development and poor healing. This session focuses on the effects that neuropathies and peripheral arterial disease have on the feet and why these cause so many problems once a wound develops. Topics include:

• When a person has complications of diabetes, what pathophysiological changes can be expected?
• How does this impact on the development of a foot wound and wound healing?
• What are the wound management implications for people with these foot wounds?
• What is the role of inter-professional management?

9:45am

The National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHS) Standard 8 ‘Preventing and Managing Pressure Injuries’ requires: “Clinicians and other members of the workforce use the pressure injury prevention and management systems.” (ACSQHC 2012)
This session will provide the relevant knowledge and identify resources to assist practitioners to meet these standards. Topics include:

• What strategies can be used to prevent pressure injuries?
• How do I know the stage of a pressure injury?
• What is the management of a pressure injury?

10:30am - Morning Tea and Coffee

11:00am

There is a global approach to the local management of a wound called the ‘TIME’ principles. These principles are helpful in giving a structured guide to the assessment and management of a wound, known as ‘Wound Bed Preparation’. This session will examine the ’TIME’ principles in some detail.

Session One: Tissue management – cleaning and debridement

• How can you tell if wound tissue is healthy?
• What role does cleaning and debridement have in wound healing?

Session Two: Inflammation and infection

• What impact do inflammation and infection have on wound healing?
• What role do antibiotics and antiseptics have?

Session Three: Moisture management

• What is wound exudate and what is its function?
• Why is managing wound moisture important?

Session Four: Edge of the wound and the surrounding skin

• What does the edge of the wound tell you about the wound?
• How does the condition of surrounding skin impact on wound healing?

1:00pm - Lunch Break and Networking

1:45pm

Dressings do not heal wounds. However, dressing selection is an important part of the overall management of the wound environment. A plethora of wound management products exists and this session will take a function-based approach on how to select the right dressing. Learn:

• How are wound dressings classified according to function?
• How do you select the right dressing?
• When should you modify the dressing regimen?
• How to choose a basic range of products for your workplace
• How do you choose a basic range of products for your workplace?

3:15pm - Afternoon Tea and Coffee

3:30pm

Using case scenarios this final session will give you an opportunity to relate your learning to practice. Includes:

• Consolidating the seminar program into practice
• Taking your knowledge back to your workplace
• Sharing your knowledge with others

4:00pm - Close of Seminar and Evaluations

Greg is a Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University in Melbourne, and also an independent health services consultant with a focus on aged care services and has a special interest in wound care. He has a special interest and expertise in evidence-based decision making in clinical settings. Greg’s research has recently evaluated the burden of chronic wounds on community based people and its impact on their quality of lives, the way they use services and what planning is needed for the future. He teaches and practices wound care in a multidisciplinary context and is very involved with wound care education as part of continuing professional development across the range of health disciplines.

Sue Templeton is the Nurse Practitioner Wound Management for RDNS SA Ltd. Sue has been involved in wound management since 1987 and has extensive experience in hospital and community sectors, managing individuals with a variety of acute and chronic wounds. Sue is involved with Wounds Australia (formerly AWMA) at both a national and state level and has held several leadership positions. Sue delivers clinical care to individuals with wounds, provides clinical consultancy services, develops and delivers education to health practitioners, develops policies and tools, publishes and presents, and is involved with several significant projects and boards at a local, state and national level. Sue is passionate about improving quality of care and achieving optimal outcomes for all persons with a wound.