Wound Care Nursing: An Alternative Career Path for Nurses

Wound Care Nursing: An Alternative Career Path for Nurses

Wound Care Nursing: An Alternative Career Path for Nurses

According to The Association For The Advancement Of Wound Care (AAWC), “More people are living with a chronic wound than with breast, colon, and lung cancers, and leukemia combined.” Moreover, the prevalence of leg ulcers in the US ranges between 500,000 and one million, and over 1% of the population has or has had a venous leg ulcer.

Yet, the AAWC also notes that while pressure ulcers have a 15% prevalence, at least 95% of them are preventable. Diabetic ulcers are not much different. While 16% of them will lead to an amputation, most are preventable.

Information like this indicates that there is a tremendous need for nurses who are educated in wound care. Utilizing various techniques to assess, treat, and care for patients with wounds, wound care nurses work with the doctor and care team to determine if other treatments like surgery or antibiotics are necessary. Wound care nurses also offer education to patients and their caretakers about caring for wounds, reducing their incidence, and preventing further complications. Here are five ways in which becoming a wound care specialist can help nurses.

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Market Trends In Wound Care Nursing

According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) National Diabetes Statistics Report, 34.2 million, or 10.5% of the US population, have diabetes. Further, 88 million or 34.5 % of the US population 18 years or older have prediabetes. The CDC also notes that the cases of type 1 and type diabetes continue to rise. 

As more people become diabetic and possibly bedridden, they also become more at risk for pressure ulcers and diabetic amputations. While the National Institutes of Health describe chronic wounds as a significant and often underappreciated burden to the individual, they also impose a burden on the healthcare system and society. Nurses who are wound care specialists stay abreast of the evolving market trends and meet the demand for wound care specialists.

Advance Employment Outlook

Treating chronic wounds requires a variety of techniques, such as debridement, cleaning, bandaging. Moreover, effective wound management involves working with the doctor and care team to determine if other treatments like surgery or antibiotics are necessary. Because additional training and techniques are required to effectively treat chronic wounds and improve their outcome, nurses who specialize in wound care significantly improve their employment outlook.

wound care nursing

Wound care nursing: an alternative career path for nurses.

Improve Patient Outcomes

Complications of chronic wounds, such as cellulitis and infective venous eczema, gangrene, hemorrhage, and lower-extremity amputations, can worsen outcomes. In a sort of vicious cycle, chronic wounds can lead to disability, and disability worsens wound outcomes. In the case of amputation, the prognosis is also not positive. The CDC states that after an amputation, 13-40% of people will die within a year, and 39-80% within five years. For comparison, 5-year mortality for all cancers is 34.2%. Nurses who are educated in how to treat chronic wounds, therefore, can significantly improve patient outcomes.

Reduce Hospital Stay

The NCBI describes chronic wounds as those that, after eight weeks, do not show any signs of healing. This includes venous leg ulcers, pressure ulcers, and complex wounds. Chronic wounds are those that do not progress through normal, orderly, and timely healing. As such, according to American Family Physician, they are common and are often incorrectly treated. This leads to an increased hospital stay. By understanding how to treat chronic wounds correctly and effectively, nurses can significantly reduce patient hospital stays.

Prevent Rehospitalization

Because chronic wounds are inherently hard to manage and may require and coordinated effort by a multidisciplinary team, they pose a patient at a greater risk for rehospitalization. This may occur as the wound fails to heal correctly, or should the patient and caregiver lack the necessary education needed to improve wound healing. According to woundsound.com, patient education and caregiver involvement are critical components in wound healing and ultimately improving patient outcomes. When wounds heal correctly, rehospitalization rates are dramatically reduced. By becoming educated in wound care, nurses can help improve wound care management and reduce rehospitalization rates.

The rates of chronic wounds are increasing rapidly, as is the rate of people at risk of developing a chronic wound. Through becoming specialized in the care of wounds, nurses meet market trends, advance employment outlook, improve patient outcomes, reduce hospital stay, and prevent rehospitalization.

About The Author

Claire Nana, LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in post-traumatic growth, optimal performance, and wellness. She has written over thirty continuing education courses on a variety of topics including nutrition, mental health, wound care, and post-traumatic stress.

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What Is A Nurse Health Coach?

What Is A Nurse Health Coach?

If the desire for flexibility and autonomy is inspiring you to look outside of the hospital setting for new opportunities, becoming a nurse health coach might be a career worth exploring.

In the hospital setting, burnout in the nursing profession is at an all-time high.   As a result, some are looking for alternative ways to work for themselves.

Have you ever wanted complete control over your work schedule while also helping patients make healthier life choices?  If the answer is yes, read on.

After all, nurses have many transferable skills that can be used in alternative ways.  Read on to learn more about nurse health coaching, and don’t forget to watch the video at the end!

Nurse Entrepreneur Business Ideas

Would you like to be your own nurse boss?

What is a nurse health coach?

Nurse health coaches have the ability to actualize their patient’s healthcare goals outside of the hospital setting by helping them develop the healthiest version of themselves.  And by teaching patients how to take great care of themselves, the nurse health coach empowers them for the rest of their lives.

Nurse health coaches work with patients to provide guidance and resources to assist their patients in living a more healthy and balanced lifestyle.  In terms of nursing experience, nurse health coaches generally have many years of direct patient care in the hospital setting. They have the desire to have a more direct and positive health impact on their patient’s lives.

Many nurse health coaches are entrepreneurs who work in private practice, although some hospitals and doctors offices hire nurse health coaches as well.  According to some surveys, nurse coaches can earn similar or even more income than they do working in hospitals.

What does a nurse health coach do?

Here are a few ways nurse health coaches can help patients: 
  • Understand patients unique healthcare dynamics
  • Assessing and inspiring your patient to make life-long healthy food and exercise habits
  • Identifying client opportunities and issues for improved health
  • Helping patients set achievable goals to have optimal health
  • Encouraging and empowering patients to reach their goals

Also, nurse health coaches can decrease healthcare spending by:

  • Helping insurance companies reduce the cost of patient care and disease management, and
  • Giving patients the tools to improve their overall health and well-being by reducing the incidence of chronic illness and the cost of healthcare

Some nurse coaches work in private practice; some collaborate with other health professionals in a group practice, and others are employees. According to surveys, nurse coaches can earn similar or more income than they do working in hospitals.

Additional benefits:

Nurse health coaches generally have more independence in this role then they do in other nursing careers.  For many nurses, this makes a great alternative to bedside nursing where you are constantly working under the eye of administrators.

Plus, while nurse health coaches must work very hard to be successful, the profession offers flexibility with setting one’s schedule, work atmosphere, and patient clientele.

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