Education

Fabulous opportunity to begin your career!

• Prize of $100 for the top 6 published entries
• The overall winner also receives a NZWCS one-year subscription for Full Membership
• The top six entries will be published in the Tissue Issue, the NZWCS e-newsletter
• Editorial support supplied by NZWCS
• Submission due December 31st

In your final year as an undergraduate, you'll encounter numerous fascinating wound care cases that will leave a lasting impression throughout your career. Sharing these cases with peers and colleagues can be instructive, but knowing how to effectively convey the story can be challenging.

Below is a structured formula that will aid in crafting a compelling case study. Please be mindful of patient confidentiality and ensure that your tertiary institution or tutor is aware of your application.

1. Introduction:

• Begin by introducing the patient, using a pseudonym like George or Susan.
• Provide a brief overview of their medical history and any relevant medications.
• Describe the circumstances surrounding their presentation, which may include social or medical factors.
• If there's a connection between their presentation and medical history, briefly mention it.
• Including a photo can enhance understanding.

2. Patient's Journey:

• Discuss the course of treatment administered to the patient, whether by you or others.
• Detail the types of dressings utilized or interactions with healthcare professionals.
• Include any pertinent photos for clarity.
• Summarize the patient's journey, offering final advice or insights. Add any omitted details due to case-specific circumstances.

3. Connecting Theory to Practice:

This section bridges the individual case to broader themes or theories.

• If the focus is on a specific condition and wound, discuss relevant theoretical concepts.
• For cases involving drug interactions, elaborate on the drugs involved, their actions, and contraindications.
• If the narrative centres on the patient's interaction with the healthcare system, analyse the system's strengths and weaknesses and how they influenced the healing process.
• Use this opportunity to underscore the significance of the case study and impart valuable lessons to the reader.

4. Proofreading and Word Limits:

• Utilize the free version of Grammarly to ensure the text is error-free before submission.
• 2,000-word limit

By following this structured approach, you can effectively capture and convey the essence of complex wound care cases for educational and professional purposes.

Email your submission in Word format to the Administrator  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Winners will be announced by the end of February.

 Undergrade case study link to article  

Download PDF Poster here

Online Award Application Form - Tissue Issue

Tissue Issue Article
A $100 award to a NZWCS member or a 1-year subscription to the NZWCS for a non-member for an article written and published by NZWCS in our newsletter ‘Tissue Issue’. This newsletter is published 5 times per year.
When sending in your case study please give your contact and bank details. Your case study will be reviewed and if accepted to feature in the Tissue Issue the award will be paid. Articles are included in the Tissue Issue at the discretion of the Editor.

Best Runner-Up
Depending on the number of applications received for the above award, there may be up to 3 Runner-Up awards of $100 each.

The following are compulsory questions that you need to complete online. For your convenience, we suggest you create a Word document with the answers so you can copy and paste them into the form.

1. Name
2. Phone number
3. Email address
4. What is the name of your employer?
5. What is your Job Title?
6. Which award are you applying for?  (Tissue Issue Award OR Award for Publications)
7. If an award for Tissue Issue - include title and date published
8. For Applications for awards for publications - outline your publication, date of publication, and Journal name (Please send PDF in a separate email to the administrator)
9. If co-writing: Please insert the text of a letter from your co-writer granting you permission to submit this publication/article for review
10. Professional Qualifications
11. Include relevant details from your Curriculum Vitae (that are not previously given in this form). Limit approximately 500 words
12. State your practising certificate expiry date (if applicable)
13. Post-registration or post-graduate qualifications: Include University/Polytech, Course, Year completed
14. Bank details

Applications must be submitted using the Award Application Form below:

Award Application For Publications Outside NZWCS

Best Publication

A $500 award to the best article/publication in a peer-reviewed or other recognised journal.

Details

• Publication/article must have been published within the year of the application for the award.  
• This award is open to Full, Corporate or Life members of the NZWCS. 
• You must have been a member for at least 12 months before applying. I
• f this is a joint publication, then at least one member of the group needs to be a NZWCS member.  The award of $500 is to be shared between all named contributors to the article.
• Applications for this award open on 1st October and close on 30 November.
• The award will be presented in December.
• Applications must be submitted using the Microsoft Forms link, which will be posted on the 1st October of each year and will be open until 30 November.

The following are compulsory questions that you need to complete online. For your convenience, we suggest you create a Word document with the answers so you can copy and paste them into the form.

1. Name
2. Bank details
3. Email address
4. Your phone number
5. Employer's Name
6. Job title
7. Journal publication information – outline of publication, date of publication, journal name
8. If co-written – text of a letter from your co-writer granting you permission to submit this publication/article for this award
9. State your professional qualifications
10. Practising certificate expiry date
11. Post-registration or post-graduate qualifications: Include university/Polytech, Course, Year completed
12. Include relevant details from your Curriculum Vitae that are not previously given in this form

Click the picture below to open the application form, opens 1 October, closes 30 November

Video Tutorial

Geoff Kira "How to Start Research". His presentation covers essential aspects such as ethics approval, preparing abstracts for conferences, and tips for publication.  

Video: Writing Abstracts  - Geoff Kira

Guidance for Submission of Case Studies

Many people have interesting case studies to share with their peers and colleagues. The case may be interesting for a variety of reasons;
• it is unusual,
• the individual had a medical history that needed to be taken into account during treatment
• that there was a lesson regarding collaboration between professionals during the treatment.

There are several ways in which a case can stand out and be instructive, sometimes it is difficult to know how to go about setting the story down.

There are a few guidelines that may help in the writing of that story. The following sets down a formula that may help.

1. Introduction

Introduce the patient/client/individual _ usually leaving out the full name but possibly calling them by an arbitrary first name like George or Susan.
Explain something about their medical history and any medication they may be on.
Explain how/the circumstances in which they presented. This may have a social component or simply a medical presentation.
If there is a link between how they presented, and their medical history do not dwell on it here but you may want to mention it.
A photo is very helpful

2. Discuss what happened to the patient

What did you do as regards their treatment, or what did others do?
Usually, this includes the types of dressings that were used or how different people interacted with that person.
If there are intervening photos that are extremely useful, please add them.
In summary, what happened to the patient and any final advice, photos etc. add anything that wasn’t done because of the circumstances of this case.

3. This section links the person to the focus of the story

If the story is about a condition and a wound, then you link the theory of the condition to the case. If it is about drug interactions and the wound then you talk about the drug, its actions and contraindications. If the story is about the patient and the way they navigated the health care system (or didn’t) then that’s when you write about the individuals, the system and any weaknesses/strengths that contributed to the healing of that wound. It is the opportunity to bring the reason for the case study to the reader’s attention so that we learn something.

4. There is an excellent free version of Grammarly, please use this to check for errors before submitting.

Provided by the Education Advisory Group NZWCS

Edited 11/3/2024

Surgical Site Infection (2022)

We would like to acknowledge the dynamic Surgical Site Infections Working Group involved in planning and developing the resources and delivering a high-level educational week. Jeannette Henderson our Administrator, Desley Johnson & Maria ten Hove (Project Leads), Sharryn Cook, Alice Cowie, Sue Lee and Dr Richard Everts. This nurse/doctor team was selected for their expertise in this field. 

Webinar Video Presentations

Note:  Third-party cookies must be enabled to watch videos.

 1. ACC Data – Sue Lee

 2. Risk Factors - Alice Cowie

 3. Classifications of SSI's - Maria ten Hove

 4. Signs and Symptoms - Desley Johnson

 5. What Why Where Which When Who & How - Dr Richard Everts

 6. Educations for Patients - Sharryn Cook

 7. Dressing Selection - Maria ten Hove

 8. Resources and Recommendations - Sue Lee

Patient Resources

Health Navigator NZ

• Wound Healing
• Wound Infection - prevention and treatment
• Caring for Surgical Wounds at home
• Tips for Preparing for Surgery

ACC

• Search ACC Resources "wound infection"  click here for the search result
• Search ACC Resources "Preventing healthcare associated infections  - downloadable document  click here  for the search result

Clinical Resources

International Wound Infection Institute (IWII) 

International Surgical Wound Complications Advisory Panel (ISWCAP)

Infection Prevention and Control HQSC

Conference Scholarship Application Questions

Applications must be submitted using the Microsoft Forms link which will be posted at the appropriate time. Remember you must be logged in to see the link.

The following are compulsory questions that you need to complete online. For your convenience, we suggest you create a Word document with your answers so you can easily copy and paste them into the online form. Note that answers have a limit of 5000 characters, which is around 500 words, we suggest you leave off unnecessary formatting, such as lines.  When pasting your letter-of-support please copy text only and leave out graphics.

1. Name
2. Phone number
3. Email address
4. Employer Name
5. Job Title
6. How many years have you been a NZWCS member?
7. Which Scholarship are you applying for? Multiple choice.

* NZWCS Debridement Course
• $500 Wound-related Education Level 6 & 7
• $1000 post-graduate study in wound management. Level 8

8. Are you applying for funding through other organisations or your workplace? If so, please state how much and where from.
9. What is the Education/course you are applying for? Please outline the planned course of study.
10. What is the Educational Institution you will be studying with
11. Dates for the course you are attending.
12. Outline your involvement in NZWCS activities:
13. Show how you intend to use this learning to benefit yourself, your employer, your clients and the NZWCS
14. Professional Qualifications.  
15. Post-registration or post-graduate qualifications: include University/Polytech, Course, Year completed
16. State the number of years working in an area where wound management forms part of your practice 
17. Include relevant details from your Curriculum Vitae.  Exclude your name, personal details or information already given in questions 14 & 15 of this form. If you are copying/pasting, we advise you to check that all your information has been pasted correctly as there is a 5000-character cut-off (approximately 500 words)
18. State your practising certificate expiry date (if applicable)
19. Outline your present contribution to wound management at a local and/or regional/national level.
20. List any publications:
21. Support letter from your manager.  Copy and paste the text from your support letter here, do not include logos
22. Do you agree to complete a report suitable for the Tissue Issue within 3 weeks of completion of the study?  Yes/No/Other
23. What NZWCS scholarships have you received in the past?

By submitting the form you agree to the terms.

Scholarship Terms and Conditions for Further Study

The NZWCS scholarships are open to current Full or Corporate Members only. Commercial Members are not eligible for these scholarships.

You must

• Have been a member for a minimum of one year at the time of application.
• Have the support of your manager to attend the conference.
• Not have been a recipient of a NZWCS Scholarship within the last 24 months.
• The academic scholarships can be applied for two months before the start of the course. The closing date will be one month before the start of the course.
• Show that you are currently employed in an area where they conduct wound care as part of their role or are involved in relevant wound education.
• Provide a report to the NZWCS National Committee detailing the study programme or event and the benefits and knowledge gained from it. These reports may be published in the NZWCS newsletter, Tissue Issue, and/or on the NZWCS website.

The scholarship may be held concurrently with another scholarship or bursary and is non-taxable in New Zealand.

The scholarships will be tenable for one year and can only be applied for in the 12 months following the announcement of scholarship recipients.

The scholarship recipient will be expected to allow media cover of their receipt of the award.

Each award will be made on merit, taking into consideration the nature of the planned study, how the participant intends to relate it to their own work, as well as the applicant's academic merit and participation in the profession.

Applications are to be completed using the online survey which you can find when logged in on the Scholarships Further Study page, see the “Further Study Scholarship Online Application Form” box. This information is then sent to the NZWCS Administrator, who will coordinate a blind peer review by representatives from the NZWCS National Committee or Education Advisory Group. In any year, this group may refrain from making a recommendation if no suitable applicants are found. In the case of disagreement, the application will be reviewed by two other Committee members. The Committee’s decision is final.

.

Asepsis and Aseptic Technique (WAW 2023)

The Wound Awareness Week is to raise awareness of the prevention of healthcare-acquired infections (HAI), including surgical site infections and soft tissue infections, through the appropriate use of aseptic technique by healthcare professionals.

Webinar Video Presentations

Bugs in Colour (Incorrect technique)    https://vimeo.com/353936150
Password: Aseptic2019

Bugs in Colour (Correct technique)    https://vimeo.com/388349100
Password: Aseptic2020

Free e-learning module

A new e-learning module is available to help you reduce the risk of healthcare-associated Infections (HAIs) from occurring while treating patients.

Often occurring in surgical sites, IV lines or catheters, HAIs can have a huge impact on patients’ lives – they cause unnecessary pain and can lead to long-term disability or even death.

The New Zealand Aseptic Technique (NZAT) was developed to create a simple, consistent approach to aseptic technique in Aotearoa New Zealand.  It complements other aseptic education you may have undertaken, such as the Aseptic Non-Touch Technique.

Developed by experts across the health sector, with support from ACC and Te Whatu Ora Hutt Valley and Counties Manakau, these new resources are available to all health professionals in any clinical setting.

The e-learning module is free, takes about 30 minutes to complete and you will receive a certificate supporting your professional development. Simply head to the Learn Online website (LearnOnline.health.nz) now, take two minutes to create a login and search ‘NZAT.’

For more information, and to access the e-learning module, visit LearnOnline.health.nz

Burns and Scalds (2021)

Webinar Video Presentations

1. ACC Data – Sharon Cassidy

Professional Websites of Interest

Australia & New Zealand Burn Association

Starship Safekids Aotearoa

NZ National Burn Service 

ACC   another helpful publication is - https://www.acc.co.nz/assets/contracts/outpatient-burn-scar-og.pdf

Hato Hone St John  https://www.stjohn.org.nz/first-aid/first-aid-library/burns/

Resources for schools