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By Nancy Collins, PhD, RDN, LD, NWCC, FAND Some healthcare providers are working in underperforming facilities, and they need to discuss how to improve outcomes before it becomes a matter of legal record. “I didn’t have any special training in wounds. No one else wanted to do it, so I said okay.” “The weekends were really bad. We only had ...

By Nancy Collins, PhD, RDN, LD, NWCC, FAND Every minute counts when a patient chokes, so you must react confidently and have a plan in place to handle this emergency situation. John Quiñones stars in the ABC television show What Would You Do? (https://abcnews.go.com/WhatWouldYouDo). The program features actors cast in scenes of conflict or illegal activity in public settings, while ...

By Nancy Collins, PhD, RDN, LD, NWCC, FAND We have made progress in reducing healthcare-associated infections, but still have a long way to go, especially when patients complain of dirty, dingy hospitals and clinics. I feel a little like girl detective Nancy Drew as I ask you to consider the Case of the Dirty Wound Care Clinic. Let me explain. ...

By Nancy Collins, PhD, RDN, LD, NWCC, FAND A comprehensive skin assessment should look for more than just wounds because many medical problems have telltale signs that are easy to see if you know what to look for. POA. These three little letters have become very important in wound care because we must document any wounds present on admission (POA). ...

By Nancy Collins, PhD, RDN, LD, NWCC, FAND The pain of a wound is sometimes difficult to quantify, but if a patient complains of pain, this requires effective and timely pain management. In the midst of the war on narcotics, that might mean looking for alternative pain management techniques and learning new approaches. Several months ago, I was attacked by ...

By Nancy Collins, PhD, RDN, LD, FAPWCA, FAND Documentation of turning and repositioning often leads to legal problems as some healthcare providers chart by exception and others chart at the point of care. “The hospital never turned the patient, and therefore the patient suffered a serious pressure injury,” declared the plaintiff attorney. The defense team shot back, “Whoa. Slow down. ...

Wound Glossary It is important to be able to speak the same language as your wound care providers. This glossary will help you understand the basic terminology. Air-Flotation Bed: Generic descriptor for low-air-loss beds and air-fluidized beds.   Air-Fluidized Bed: Class of support surfaces that uses a high rate of air flow to fluidize fine particulate material (such as sand) ...

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