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1. Distinguish between at least 6 tissue types found in chronic wounds to inform clinical decisions.
2. Differentiate between wound etiologies to develop the most comprehensive plan of care.
3. Choose the best descriptors of periwound skin to establish legally defensible documentation.
4. Demonstrate accurate measurement strategies for various wound types, tunneling and undermining.
5. Propose which dressing type to use based upon the wound presentation to improve clinical outcomes.
6. Develop a treatment response based upon evaluation of the wound exudate.

Wound Assessment Strategies

• Tissue types/wound bed evaluation necrotic tissue, granulation, hypergranulation, agranular
• Phases of wound healing, chronicity
• Factors impacting wound healing
• SKILL: Techniques for accurate wound measurements

Top Down Skin Injuries

• Medical Adhesive Associated Skin Damage
• Moisture Associated Skin
• Incontinence Associated Damage
• Dermatitis/Intertrigo
• Skin Tears
• SKILL: Overcoming Challenging Situations

Pressure Injuries

• Demystify staging
• Prevention: What have you overlooked?
• Risk assessment
• Treatment and dressing selection
• SKILL: Executing the risk assessment

Lower Extremity Wounds

• Arterial, venous, neuropathic
• Differentiate etiologies
• Appropriate therapies
• SKILL: Compression wrapping

Ostomy Solutions

• Types of diversion
• Pouch Selection
• SKILL: Pouch application

Strategies for Topical Dressing Selection

• Dressing selection process — samples to compare
• When is gauze appropriate?
• The key role of exudate
• Essential toolkit items:
  • Cleansers
  • Debridement options
  • Gels, collagen
  • Absorptive products, foam
  • Antimicrobial, silver
  • Heavy drainage versus minimal
  • Large area wounds
  • Dress difficult locations, tracts and undermining
  • SKILL: Select dressing protocol for various wounds

Heidi H. Cross, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, CWON, is a board-certified Wound and Ostomy Nurse and a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner in Syracuse, NY. She has extensive experience caring for wound and ostomy patients in acute care, as well as in long term care facilities. Currently, she is employed by CNY Surgical Physicians consulting for nursing homes in the Syracuse area, and has her own independent practice as an expert witness for plaintiff and defense attorneys.

Ms. Cross is a member of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society, the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care, and the American Nurses Association. She has served on numerous committees related to wound and ostomy care, including as chair of the Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board examination committee, the credential and review committee, and the marketing committee. For the Wound and Ostomy Nurses Society, she is the co-chair of the National Conference Planning Committee ostomy track, has done peer review for the Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing (JWOCN), and was the recipient of a grant from the Center for Clinical Investigation Research. She participated in developing the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel’s Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers in 2014. Disclosures:

Financial: Heidi Huddleston Cross receives an honorarium and consulting fee from Molnlycke. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc.

Nonfinancial: Heidi Huddleston Cross is a member of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses (WOCN) Society.

CE Credit is not available for this product.

• Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Nurse Educators
• Physician Assistants
• Physical Therapists
• Physical Therapist Assistants
• Nursing Home Administrators