A nurse specialising in pressure ulcers from St Margaret’s Hospice Care in Somerset has been shortlisted for an international award.
Lynn Cornish, the hospice’s Tissue Viability Lead Practitioner, is a finalist in the Advances in Pressure Care category of the Journal of Wound Care’s awards.
Called the World Union of Wound Healing Societies Awards (and dubbed the “Olympics of wound care”) the ceremony takes place every four years. This year’s shortlist is made up of leading clinicians, researchers and companies from Europe, the USA, South America, Asia and Australia.
Lynn is the only representative of a hospice on the entire shortlist. She said: “It’s a huge honour for St Margaret’s, and for hospices in general, to be recognised among such esteemed company.”
Pressure ulcers, also known as bedsores, can be a common problem for people who are confined to bed or spend long periods of time sitting in a chair or wheelchair.
St Margaret’s has achieved great success in improving the treatment and prevention of pressure ulcers over the past four years. Between 2016 and 2019, the charity saw an 83 per cent reduction in the number of patients developing pressure sores – with avoidable cases completely eliminated.
As the driving force behind this work, Lynn is passionate about not giving up on pressure ulcer prevention and care because patients are near the end of life – an approach she instils in hospice colleagues and other healthcare professionals.
Lynn said: “Initially we intended to improve the experience of our patients in the way we deliver wound care to make people as comfortable as possible. As a result of this, we have managed to reduce the rates of pressure ulcers and increase healing rates.
“My nursing colleagues at St Margaret’s have embraced the knowledge I have gained with their usual enthusiasm and passion for the work that we do in the hospice. We have changed the way we work to benefit our patients and now we are hoping to encourage others to change their practice too.”
Lynn regularly shares her knowledge by writing articles and delivering training sessions. She will be among the expert speakers at St Margaret’s Wound Care Conference in Yeovil in October. As part of the hospice’s role as the Project ECHO hub for Somerset, Lynn has also led video conference sessions with care homes across the county to share expertise in pressure care.
The World Union of Wound Healing Societies Awards will take place in Abu Dhabi in September.
For more information visit St Margaret’s Hospice
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