Wound healing is an important focus across all care settings and achieving optimal healing requires an understanding of nutritional requirements, strategies to optimise well-being, and empowering patients to become more engaged in their care.

People with wounds face major challenges in their daily lives including stigma, psychological stress, poorly controlled wound symptoms, social isolation, and financial impost. Psychosocial factors such as anxiety and depression are frequently associated with delayed wound healing, while inadequate symptom management and poor health literacy can lead to non-concordance and resistance to care.

Optimising wellbeing involves collaboration and interaction between the person with the wound, their families and carers, health professionals, the healthcare system and industry.

This workshop is specifically for nurses working in residential and community aged care services in the Gold Coast region.

By participating in this workshop, attendees will have:

• Increased knowledge of the importance a wound has on the wellbeing of individuals and their carers.
• Increased knowledge of nutrition in wound repair and regeneration.
• Increased knowledge of strategies to improve wellbeing and promote patient empowerment.
• Increased confidence in identifying referral indicators for escalation to optimise patient wellbeing.

Presenters:

• Dr Michelle Gibb – Nurse Practitioner and Director and Founder of Wound Specialist Services Pty Ltd
  Michelle is a nurse practitioner with extensive experience in wound management across the continuum of healthcare and is well known both nationally and internationally for her expertise in the field. With a Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Nursing Science (Nurse Practitioner), Masters of Wound Care, Bachelor of Nursing and over 20 years’ career experience in the specialty of wounds, Michelle has a proven ability to inspire, motivate and develop others in the specialty of wounds. She is a professional leader, role model and mentor and has demonstrated ability to lead others through change.
• Julette Brazier – Project Coordinator & Dietitian, Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
  Julette (Jules) is Project Coordinator and Dietitian at Queensland University of Technology. Jules has over 20 years’ experience working as a community specialist and research dietitian in Australia and the United Kingdom in tertiary, community, outreach and private practice clinics. More recently, Jules has worked in the professional learning and project management space to help teams meet client expectations, workforce standards and capability requirements. Jules enjoys working with front‐facing teams and managers to design and deliver activities that have opportunity to empower people accessing supports.
• Dr Julie Bajic-Smith – Psychologist | Aged Care Consultant, Wise Care
  Dr Bajic‐Smith is a registered psychologist who has over 15 years clinical experience in aged care. Julie is a board approved psychology supervisor, and she regularly delivers clinical supervision to intern psychologists and other mental health professionals. Julie is an experienced researcher and writer. Her doctorate research examined wellbeing in home care workers and post‐doctoral research focused on supported decision‐making in dementia. She has significant experience in assessment and the application of psychological treatments to older adults and recently published a book on enhancing emotional wellbeing in residential aged care environments. Julie has developed several preventative psychological group programs for older adults entering residential care which won Positive Living in Aged Care Awards.
  

Program:
8:30am – 9:00am – Registration and refreshments
9:00am – 9:15am – Introduction and Acknowledgement to Country
9:15am – 10:00am – Nutrition and wound healing | Julette Brazier
10:00am – 10:30am – Morning tea and trade display
10:3am – 12:30pm – Patient empowerment | Dr Julie Bajic-Smith
12:30pm – 12:50pm – Practical workshop | Dr Michelle Gibb
12:50pm – 1:00 pm – Summary and evaluation

Tea, coffee, and morning tea will be provided.

Registrations

This workshop is specifically for nurses working in residential and community aged care services in the Gold Coast region.