Dare to be different : taking the plunge to teach wound management using some novel strategies

Background: The global phenomena of advancing wound care technology provides a challenge for up-skilling educators and clinicians. However, a greater challenge involves the need to engage learners in an interactive, interprofessional and relevant manner in order to enhance learning and wound management expertise. Outline of the work: This paper discusses a variety of strategies, including high fidelity patient latex simulation, to teach wound and ostomy care in a somewhat less conventional approach in an undergraduate nursing program. The paper will outline the principles behind the innovative strategies and will allow the audience to become exposed to some of the techniques and innovative projects that have emerged from such techniques. The paper will also consider future directions surrounding these teaching and learning approaches. The intent of the paper is to challenge educators to consider different ways of engaging learners which may inturn enable them to push forward their passion and encourage others to be champions in wound management. The paper aims to leave the audience feeling somewhat challenged and to provide an opportunity to reflect on what is it they do best, what it is they do less effectively and question whether there is any way that they can dare to do things differently. Findings: This education innovation to date has been recognised with numerous awards. These include several teaching and learning awards, an Australian Teaching and Learning Citation for outstanding contribution to student learning, a best paper award in the International Clinical Skills conference, a 2009 Queensland Health Innovation award and voted in 2008 as CQUniversity lecturer of the year. In 2009 Kerry was awarded the Pearson/ANTS Australian Nurse Teacher of the Year. Research in now being undertaken to examine these strategies with consideration as to how such methods can be transferred into other teaching and learning contexts. Conclusion: this paper will expose innovative approaches for the teaching of wound management to multidisciplinary health professionals.