My Scope of Practice: Awestruck

The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it does not rest until it has gained a hearing. — Sigmund Freud

  Claudia Thomas, RN, BSN, CWOCN, was always amazed at the healing and sometimes nonhealing ways of the human body. So it came as no surprise that she listened to her inner voice and decided to turn her awe into a career. She enrolled at McNeese State University (Lake Charles, LA) to study nursing, and in 1979 graduated not only with her nursing degree, but also with a better understanding of her original inspiration: how the human body heals and why in some cases, it doesn’t.   Claudia didn’t jump right into the field of wound care. She spent the first 22 years of her career in a variety of nursing positions throughout the United States: working in a long-term care facility, as an ICU/CCU hospital nurse, as a traveling nurse, and as a home health field nurse. She found her forte in wound care while working in home health. “I had a patient whose skin condition rapidly deteriorated,” she says. “I found myself defending my nursing care to my supervisors. I began a lengthy literature search on best practices for prevention of pressure ulcers, which enabled me to present a fact-based report on prevention practices and the physiology behind unavoidable pressure ulcers.”

  Claudia didn’t want her research to stop there. When colleague Edith Hudson, MPH, BSN, RN, CWOCN, asked her to provide a reference for an application to attend school to specialize in wound care, Claudia agreed, and decided to apply herself. Six months later, Claudia and Edith roomed together while attending the WOCN Wick’s School in Mechanicsburg, PA. In 2001, Claudia earned her WOCN degree and transitioned into a new role as Enterostomal Therapist Coordinator with Riverside Home Health, the company with which she has worked since 1999. “After completing the WOCN training, I advanced to an administrative position in a coordinator role,” she says. “My main job functions include the training and support of home health staff nurses and coordinating the care of patients with wound, ostomy, or continence issues.”

  After earning her degree, Claudia also became involved with the WOCN Society. She has been a member since 2001 and in 2010 was elected President of the Hampton Roads Affiliate of the Mid-Atlantic Region. During her 2 years as President, Claudia was one of 14 WOCN nurses chosen to participate in the first “WOCN in Washington” event. “It was an adventure I will never forget,” she says. “It altered my perception of what our Senators and Representatives are about and how we are a government of the people, for the people, by the people but only if we, the people, participate and express our views to those we hired to conduct the business of our country. The WOCN should be a voice for our ostomy patients. We care for them, we teach them, we help them to adjust to life changes, and we inspire them by giving our time and our knowledge. Now, thanks to the WOCN Washington Experience, we actively lobby for our ostomy patients.”

  Although her term as president ended in 2012, Claudia still is involved with the WOCN Society and continues to advocate on behalf of ostomy patients. She believes the organization and the nurses around the country who are a part of the organization are the united voice for ostomy patients who need to see change in their communities. Many of these nurses volunteer their time to work at free clinics, donate supplies, or educate laypersons. For Claudia, providing the best possible care to her patients doesn’t always fall into a 9-am-to-5-pm time frame. “There is a balance between work and life, but the WOCN is always a part of me,” she says.

  Because of all she already has accomplished, Claudia is excited for what the future holds. “I think the WOCN will continue to grow and be a leader in the development and provision of cutting-edge care for the wound, ostomy, and continence community,” she says. “I hope I am right there in the middle of it and can continue to expand my role outside of my agency by collaborating with other professionals to optimize care and educate persons dealing with complications of wounds, especially pressure ulcers.”

   Claudia has always been amazed at the healing and nonhealing ways of the human body and as a WOC nurse she can pick up where the human body fails and help heal difficult wounds. Plus, Claudia can speak up where many ostomy patients can’t with the hope of bringing about change on a larger level. Healing and lobbying — it is all part of Claudia’s scope of practice.

This article was not subject to the Ostomy Wound Management peer-review process.