Maybe Times Could Be a Little Less Interesting

The Chinese-attributed, oxymoronic blessing/curse, May you live in interesting times, implies status quo-embracing, not-so-interesting times are better for your health than interesting times of disruption, turmoil, and change. 

This year has been quite interesting. 

Our journal was renamed Wound Management & Prevention to more accurately reflect the direction health care in general and wound care specifically is headed in terms of patient care.

We revamped our print and website designs to be more reader- and user-friendly.

The Wound Care division of HMP is launching the Post-Acute Care Symposium (PACS; visit pacsymposium.com) concurrent with the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC Spring) this May in San Antonio, Texas. The new conference is designed to provide nurses specifically the tools they need to meet their day-to-day challenges; the curriculum focuses on the strategies necessary for implementing clinical practice guidelines, protocols, and care pathways for wound and incontinence interventions.

Also at the SAWC Spring, the Wound Care division is debuting the Wound Care Learning Network (WCLN; visit www.woundcarelearningnetwork.com), a new website that overarches the resources available from HMP, features up-to-the-minute industry news, and maximizes digital content to enhance the learning experience.

Last but far from least, the SAWC Spring itself has been rejuvenated and now includes 1) a new “Leading Edge” Track that features cutting-edge topics presented by attendee-favorite educators and highlights collaborations and partnerships to proliferate the mission to improve patient care, 2) more nurse practitioner continuing education credits, and 3) advanced wound care abstract categories that more fully capture practice reality and research conducted in today’s settings.

Let’s just say I am not big on change. This may be a direct result of having parents whose philosophy was basically, As bad as things are, change could be worse — the whole “the devil you know” approach to life. This also would explain why I met my husband in high school and we have been married 45 years. It also is a factor as to why we have lived in only 2 houses our entire married life. According to the United States Census Bureau,¹ Americans on average move 11.7 times in their lifetimes, although lately they are changing domiciles at historically low rates. My lack of desire for change also, in part, may be why I have been with this journal through its many incarnations for almost 19 years when the average person changes jobs an average of 12 times during his or her career.² 

That being said, despite my personal aversion to change, the changes imposed to improve the exchange of information on wound, ostomy, and continence care have had positive repercussions. Although they naturally have meant a bit of extra work, they are yielding the intended results. Ironically, removing the O from our name has far from slowed the submission of ostomy-related manuscripts and in fact has led to a partnership with the United Ostomy Association of America and a new online exclusive column, Up Front With Ostomies.³ Our manuscript submissions have increased year over year. Our social media numbers have soared (perhaps also due to the efforts of our new Web Editor, Jessica Wilbur); one article has close to 6000 impressions.

One recent change was not as positive. Many of you have been following my dad’s travails with and ultimate acceptance of incontinence,⁴ offering your insights and delight in his perseverance in extracting the joy from life. After a brain bleed, hospitalization, and a brief stay in rehab, on March 4 we lost him. I do not use the term lost capriciously. Three weeks before he died, he was celebrating my husband’s birthday, looking spry despite the walker and happy to spend time with his precious family (see photo). We lost his presence, his kindness, his humor, and his love in one fell swoop. When my editorials ran, he and I were grateful for the outpouring of support from our clinical family, and I would have been remiss in not sharing the news of his passing.  

So, yes this has been quite the interesting year, and we are dealing with the aftermath of the changes. Most changes have come with benefits in enhanced clinician knowledge that will parlay into improved patient outcomes. Most changes will serve to further underscore the vision of HMP and its publications and programs. Some changes will make us grateful for the productive, purposeful longevity of our relationships — professional and personal. Truth be told, I am hoping next year is a little less “interesting.”

S ome things change, some stay the same
Y ou add a track, amend a name
M aybe you submit a study
P ursue a path. Seek out a buddy
O f all the good a conference brings
S o much depends on these 3 things:
I nvest in all your mind can hold
U nleash excitement and be bold
M ingle, network, don't be mum
    San Antone: oh here we come!