Wound/Ostomy Nurse

I work with children and babies.  Specifically I oversee a team of nurses who provide wound care and ostomy care for these patients.  We do a lot of teaching, mostly to parents, but on occasion to patients themselves.  Often times patients are sent home before a wound is healed.  In these instances we teach the family how to care for the wound, change the dressing, and provide nutrition for improved healing.  We also teach them to contact their primary care physician or our team for any concerns and teach them what to be concerned about. 

Many of our patients have new gastrostomy tubes.  Parents are usually nervous about caring for these.  We teach them how to take care of their child, and what to do if the tube gets pulled out.  

Like adults, children and babies sometimes need to have an ostomy created.  These are usually temporary in the pediatric population.  Despite the temporary nature, it is a difficult adjustment.  We teach the parents about the digestive tract, how to care for the ostomy, and what to expect. 

All health care providers are involved in education.  The more education we can give to our patients and families, the more comfortable and competent they are in their care at home.