It is estimated that more than 1 percent of the industrialized population suffers from problem wounds. “That is approximately 67 million people,” said Cassandra Munoz, RN, certified wound care from Riverside Medical Center (RMC) in Waupaca, noting information from the Wound Care Education Institute.
Patients who are more likely to need wound care include diabetics, people with kidney failure and those who have problems with mobility. “But wound care can really affect anyone as many people come to us as a result of surgery or trauma as well,” said Munoz.
A wound care nurse specializes in management of acute and chronic wounds. “We do a thorough assessment of the wound, obtain history of wound and health history, and provide a treatment plan based on our assessment,” said Munoz.
RMC Outpatient Wound Care Department is important for patients. The department is part of the Health and Wellness Department in the 900 Building. “Having a wound clinic in our community provides people the opportunity to have help managing their wounds without having to travel,” said Munoz.
Previously, wound care services were provided by Rehab Services/Physical Therapy. As reimbursement for wound care changed, wound care began to transition to nursing. “This created a great opportunity for certain passionate nurses to specialize in this very high level practice,” said Marci Reynolds, supervisor of RMC’s Health and Wellness.
At RMC, two nurses are wound care certified with plans to add a third within the next year. In January, wound care joined the Health and Wellness Department, under the supervision of Reynolds, who oversees cardiac and pulmonary rehab, diabetes education and community programs. “This is a good fit because all of these programs see patients with chronic diseases,” said Reynolds. “Health and Wellness staff in all the programs specialize in working with the chronic disease patient population.”
“A wound care certification is an evidenced-based education course with a focus on wounds. We learn how the healing process works and the steps we need to take to help wounds progress toward healing,” added Munoz.
To promote healing, the wound care nurse has to prepare the patient’s wound bed. “This includes removing dead tissue, maintaining a proper moisture balance, decreasing and maintaining the amount of bacteria in the wound, and providing an environment for the body’s cells to restore proper function and heal the wound,” said Munoz.
The Wound Care Clinic is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday by appointment and Thursdays are overflow days by department. For information, call Health and Wellness reception at (715) 258-1183.
