Definitions for PGP Terms

The following definitions have been developed to explain the meaning of some of the terms used in this handbook. Please review these definitions before you begin filling out the forms. If you have additional questions after you have reviewed the terms, you should go to "Ask The Board" and post your question. Your question will be answered within 48 hours. ("Ask the Board" Disclaimer - The Board's answers to PGP questions posted on the www.wocncb.org website's "Ask the Board" are as accurate as possible without having the questioner's complete portfolio at hand. Questions may at times lack full and comprehensive information about a specific activity, or a question or answer may be misinterpreted by the reader. As a result, the WOCNCB cannot guarantee that it will accept points based on the answer to a question posed on "Ask the Board." Points can only be fully verified and justified when the completed PGP portfolio is evaluated by a PGP reviewer.)

Brochure/pamphlet: Summary of information regarding a product or service.
Example: You develop a tri-fold marketing piece outlining the WOC Services offered at your hospital.

Clinical Pathway: A clinical pathway is intended to be a multidisciplinary patient plan of care. These pathways are disease/condition specific and usually include standing orders, policy and procedures, patient education, on going patient assessment criteria, etc. Many times for this process to be developed there are multidisciplinary meetings held to determine what must be in the pathway. Activities in this category require multiple steps for completion.

Competency Based Tool: An educational activity that measures the wound, ostomy or continence skills and knowledge of the nursing staff.
Example: You develop a wound care competency test for the nursing staff that consists of a scenario to evaluate a wound care patient. The nursing staff then completes a Braden scale, measures the wound, and documents it on the Wound Documentation Record.

Contributing Author: Name is cited as a contributing author in the published textbook or chapter.

Forum for Advisory Panel: Providing a voluntary role as a consultant on various CWOCN issues, i.e., Manufacturers advisory panels, new product development/advancing products, reviewing manufacturers literature, etc.

Grant Activities (non-research based): Grant applications for activities such as: education programs for your facility, equipment, or other "non-research based activities" which would not go before an IRB. Grant activity that only requires institution approval since the application does not involve human subjects or informed consent.
Example: Institution approved grant proposal submitted to a University or company that supports nursing education (such as Convatec, KCI, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, etc.) to request funding for educational program at your facility.

Healthcare Professional Fact Sheet: Factual clinical information intended for the healthcare professional.
Example: You develop a clinical fact sheet for nursing students which shows the difference between venous, arterial and diabetic ulcers.

IRB (Institutional Review Board): A committee/group that is given the responsibility by an institution to review research projects involving human subjects. The purpose and role of the IRB is to assure the protection and safety, rights and welfare of research participants (human subjects).
Example: Institution and IRB approved grant proposal submitted to the NIH Institute of Nursing Research to request funding for a research study at your facility.

Learning Module: A wound, ostomy or continence course in a written, electronic or video format. The module must include objectives, learning activities and competency evaluation (post-test, return demonstration, etc.). Example: During RN Orientation, you are asked to complete a written learning course on the Wound Care Policy and successfully pass a written test on the subject.

Multidisciplinary Wound, Ostomy and Continence Service: Establishing a wound, ostomy and/or continence practice that includes various disciplines. For example: a team consisting of a WOC Nurse, a Physical Therapist, a Vascular Surgeon, Social Worker and a Dietician, etc., who are involved in caring for patients with wound, ostomy and/ or continence issues.
Example: You develop a Wound Care clinic that involves a WOC Nurse and a variety of disciplines caring for patients with wound care issues.

Patient Education Tool: Factual information developed and written for patients.
Example: You develop a one page handout on "High Fiber Foods for Ileostomates."

WOC Professional Practice: Courses or activities, other than topics clinically related to wound, ostomy or continence specific activities, that directly impact or enhance the role of a WOC Nurse.
Examples of courses directly related:
The Plaintiff's Attorney vs. WOC
Ignorance is no defense: Nursing and Malpractice
WOCNCB" Session Building WOC Practice with PGP
Evidence-Based Practice from Conception to Implementation (WOCN session)
Leadership Development Workshop
Pain Management in Clinical Practice
Conquering Stress Before it Conquers you (WOCN session)
Change Your Mind, Change Your Life (WOCN session)
Evaluation of Lab Data for Wound and Ostomy Patient(WOC session)
Click It & Fix It: An Innovative Approach for WOC Acute Care Education (WOC session)
or any of the WOC Professional Practice courses offered at the WOCN Conference.
Examples of titles that prompted clarification:
Nurses as Healers
Expectations of Staff Nurses
Coaching Makes Nurses Careers Grow
Functional Decline in Hospitalized Older Adults
The OZ Principle
Ensuring Workforce Integrity
The Two Sides of Strokes
Humor in Medicine
CBC 101
Cultivating the Heart of our Nursing Practice
Diabetic Pearls for Practice
Disclaimer:
PGP portfolio points submitted as WOC Professional Practice are subject to review by the WOCNCB PGP Committee. As a result, the WOCNCB® cannot guarantee that it will accept WOC Professional Practice points based on the designation by the WOCN Society or the information as presented on the PGP Verification Form. Points can only be fully verified and justified when the completed PGP portfolio is evaluated by a PGP Committee Reviewer.

Quality Improvement Project: An activity in which a problem is identified, solutions to the problem are identified, and a corrective program is implemented. After an initial period of utilizing the program, the solutions are reevaluated to identify the results and success of the program.
Example: Through chart audits you find that wounds are not being charted consistently and correctly on patient records. You develop a "Wound Documentation Record" that provides nurses with a list of descriptions regarding the appearance of the wound. Nurses are asked to go down the list and check off those adjectives that best describe the wound. After in-servicing the form and using it for three months an audit is performed and shows that correct documentation was found on 90% of the charts.

Reviewing textbook, chapter, journal article: Analyzes content related to WOCN practices.

Revising an education program: The program must have revisions of content, and updated references of no later than five years.

Self-Assessment: Not measured elsewhere in your PGP portfolio. Identifies the process behind an activity, specific to the activity.
Example: Web searches to find pictures for preparing a Power Point presentation.

Wound, Ostomy or Continence Nursing Service: Establishing a wound, ostomy, and/or continence nursing practice in which the WOC Nurse is responsible for the care of wound, ostomy and/or continence issues within a healthcare setting.
Example: You take a newly created hospital position as a WOC Nurse. Your responsibilities are to define your WOC nursing role and responsibilities, establish the hospital's policy and procedures for wound, ostomy and/ or continence patients, and develop a billing procedure.

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