First Middle East Wound Care Academy concludes in Dubai; 25 of the region's top nurses participate in week-long programme led by UK expert

26 June 2007 (Dubai, UAE): According to Madeleine Flanagan, a registered nurse and a Principal Lecturer at the Faculty of Health & Human Sciences at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, the incidence of chronic wounds rises quickly in patients over the age of 50, so now is the right time for the region to develop strategies and skills to manage this type of wound, before the population begins to age, and as life expectancy continues to increase.

"The UK is a leader in chronic wound management care and the nursing profession took the lead in developing this specialist skill and services. The recent/Last week's (May 28-June 1) Wound Care Academy in Dubai is one way of effectively sharing this experience," says Madeleine Flanagan, who led the first Middle East Wound Care Academy in Dubai, an educational initiative fully sponsored by Smith & Nephew FZE, with a focus on the practical, clinical and theoretical aspects of Advanced Wound Management. The success of the first Academy has led to Smith & Nephew committing to making this an annual event for the region. 

The treatment of chronic, hard to heal wounds is a significant challenge for the medical - and especially the nursing - profession, which often has to deal with the problems. These range from burns and post operative wounds, to leg ulcers, pressure ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers, which are increasingly common in a region plagued by diabetes. Chronic wounds are often difficult to heal, impacting on the quality of life of patients and can be a cost burden to healthcare providers. Acute wounds can be life threatening with scarring and infection potential issues. The need to improve wound care brought together 25 of the region's top nurses, from hospitals across the Middle East, who participated in the region's first 'Wound Care Academy' in Dubai.  

Dr Marwan Al Zarouni, in-charge of the Wound and Stoma Care Unit and Head of the Plastic Unit at the Department of Health & Medical Services, who selected three nurses from DOHMS hospitals to participate in the Academy, adds: "We aim to establish Dubai as a regional centre of excellence for wound care management, with a specialised department at DOHMS. The remit will include regional training programmes for nurses developed and run in partnership with a small group of leading universities worldwide, including the University of Hertfordshire, which ran the recent Wound Management Academy in Dubai for Smith & Nephew. We selected a group of UAE nurses to participate in this Academy - which is a very positive step forward - and we now aim to build a regional programme on a much bigger scale, supported by DOHMS."     

The comprehensive, one-week course was designed to enhance the knowledge levels of wound management principles and practices amongst the local nursing staff. 25 nurses from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and Oman, all of whom have a desire to improve wound care in their communities, attended and will return to their hospitals to cascade the training to their colleagues. The nurses also benefited from the Academy as part of their Continued Professional/Medical Education.

Madeleine Flanagan adds: "This programme is about more than just the clinical aspects of wound care management, it's also about the context in which care is delivered and covers the need for good communication and team building, in order to deliver effective wound management in the context of the local culture. For example, the high incidence of diabetes in the region raises specific wound care challenges - the occurrence of diabetic foot ulcers, which can result in infection and amputation, are difficult to treat and poor patient compliance adds to the problem.

"The first Wound Care Academy in the Middle East brought together a very experienced group of nurses willing and able to share best practice - their knowledge base is high and they are well placed within their organizations to develop new services- so this was a good group to be working with and there was an immediate common bond that health professionals naturally feel when dealing with the same clinical challenges.

"The principles and practices of wound care are well established and so we aimed to help these specialist nurses go back to their hospitals feeling focused, empowered, and confident in their abilities and knowledge, looking to lead their colleagues in the important area of chronic wound care, with the support of a new network of professionals in the region, created through the Wound Care Academy," concludes Madeleine Flanagan. 

The participating nurses were selected through an application process and one of the most important criteria was the commitment of the nurse to sharing her new knowledge with her colleagues, on returning to her hospital. Ultimately, the programme should result in improved patient care in the region.  

The programme was restricted to 25 participants to allow each nurse to benefit from the intensive combination of theoretical and practical course work. All the participants sat a comprehensive written exam covering all the topics, on the last day of the course. The University of Hertfordshire will mark the exam, with each successful student receiving a Certificate of Wound Management from the University of Hertfordshire.

Academy participant Sabbah Abu Shawish, Wound Care Nurse at Tawam hospital in Al Ain, a JCI accredited 450-bed institution working in affiliation with the prestigious Johns Hopkins hospital in the US, adds: "Wound care is the responsibility of everyone in the hospital but especially the nurses, who have an essential role in patient care. I am hoping to learn new information and gain new knowledge on wound care at the Wound Care Academy, which I can share with all the nurses at Tawam, through a new system of link nurses that we will introduce, creating a network of wound care expertise right across the hospital."

Bringing this level of educational programme to the Middle East for the first time is part of Smith & Nephew's commitment to providing clinicians with comprehensive, tailored education and training designed to enhance the level of knowledge of wound management principles and practice amongst nurses in the Middle East.

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About the Wound Care Academy
The Smith & Nephew Wound Care Academy has had over 135 nurses from both the private and provisional hospital markets since its launch in 1999. Many graduates have started wound care clinics within their hospitals based on the knowledge and confidence they've received from attending the academic course.

The Wound Care Academy is led by Madeleine Flanagan, a registered nurse and a Principal Lecturer at the Faculty of Health & Human Sciences at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, where she developed one of the first undergraduate wound management programmes for nurses in the UK. She was editorial advisor for the Journal of Wound Care from 1991-2001 and was Chair of the European Wound Management Association Curriculum Development Group from 2000-2005. Madeleine is supported by Sara Rowan, International Clinical Specialist for Smith & Nephew.

About Smith & Nephew
Smith & Nephew provides a full portfolio of products to its customers and supports its range of products with comprehensive learning and education programmes for medical staff and patients. Each year, Smith & Nephew trains more than 150,000 healthcare professionals with a full range of education programmes. Smith & Nephew has the biggest profile of wound care products in the industry and the growth and sustainability of the wound care business is dependent on the advanced products that are being introduced (Allevyn, Acticoat Range).

Issued on behalf of Smith & Nephew by WPR.

Media contact:
Jonathan Walsh
WPR
Dubai
Tel: 050 4588610
Email: jon@wprme.com

© Press Release 2007