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The recent cyclone events have shown that things happen when people come together for a cause. The New Zealand Wound Care Society has come together with wound care education consultant Wendy White WoundCare, and Te Pūkenga, to develop a wound debridement course which is the first of its kind in New Zealand.
Wound debridement is the removal of dead, damaged or infected tissue to help a wound heal. The course teaches health-care practitioners the skills needed to safely and competently perform conservative sharp debridement, which involves using sharp instruments to remove unviable tissue, often on chronic wounds.
The course includes online modules and one weekend practicum, but the real key to its success is that it is teamed with mentorship and support from expert tutors.
The inaugural course ran last year and it is now due to start again in mid-April 2023. It covers the what and why of wound debridement, debridement modalities, pain management, clinical assessment and skills (focused on the lower limb and foot).
The Wound Care Society can assist with assigning mentors, if required.
For more information, or to register, go to https://nzwcs.org.nz/education/certificate-course-in-wound-debridement
Rebecca Aburn, NP,
President, New Zealand Wound Care Society