Each year, from April 13th to April 19th, we honor and celebrate WOC Nurse (Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse) Week. The ultimate goal of this week is to educate and make others aware of the work that WOC nurses do every day.
180 Medical is proud to work with certified ostomy nurses. They help assist our ostomy customers with all their diverse and unique needs. Whether they’re dealing with common ostomy issues like peristomal skin irritation or unusual stoma changes, these certified WOCNs are there to provide help, support, and medical advice.
What is a WOC Nurse?
WOC stands for the areas in which a nurse specializes: Wound, Ostomy, and Continence. So WOC nurses specifically care for and help treat patients with wounds, ostomies (urostomy, colostomy, &/or ileostomy), and/or continence issues, such as bowel or bladder incontinence.
A recent study found that WOC nurses can greatly affect patient improvement levels. Per this study, patients who were taken care of by a WOC (as opposed to patients who did not have a WOC nurse) were:
- Nearly twice as likely to have an improvement in pressure ulcers.
- 20% more likely to have an improvement in lower extremity ulcers.
- 40% more likely to have an improvement in surgical wounds.
- 40% more likely to have an improvement in urinary incontinence.
- 14% more likely to have an improvement in bowel incontinence.
The above information can be found at wocn.org.
180 Medical Employees Share How Important WOC Nurses Are
We appreciate every single WOCN across the country. We often see the positive impact they make on their patients firsthand since we specialize in providing ostomy products, along with catheters and incontinence supplies.
Ostomy Territory Sales Specialist Lindsey says, “I am so grateful for our connection to Convatec WOC Nurses. They are always so kind and helpful. It’s reassuring that they’re available to help with our ostomy customers’ medical needs.”
Cait, an Ostomy Specialist, also shared her thoughts about the special relationship 180 Medical has with WOC Nurses. “Our new ostomy customers often feel frustrated by their situation. I love being able to reassure them that not only are we here to help them, but we also have a connection to a team of certified WOC Nurses they can talk to free of charge! The fact that we work with WOCNs so closely allows us to raise the level of service we can provide. We can make sure our customers get the best care possible.”
Join Us in Honoring WOC Nurse Week
Lastly, we just want to say thank you to all WOC Nurses, including those who help take care of our customers every day! We appreciate and honor your compassion, care, and knowledge in your field of specialization.
If you have an ostomy and seek a reliable provider for your ileostomy, urostomy, or colostomy supplies, 180 Medical can help you. We also provide intermittent catheter supplies.
Our knowledgeable Ostomy Specialists can assist in finding the right products for your individual needs and then ship them right to your doorstep to lighten your burden and make the transition to living with an ostomy a little easier. Just give us a call at 1-877-688-2729.
