BURLINGTON — River’s Bend Health Care has announced that its wound care nurse, Melissa Turner, RN, of Ironton, recently became a nationally wound care certified professional through the National Alliance of Wound Care (NAWC).

The NAWC offers this certification beyond licensure that demonstrates by examination that the practitioner has acquired a core body of specialized knowledge. According to the NAWC, the nationally accredited WCC® certification is the #1 wound care credential in the United States.

There are more than 12,000 multi-discipline WCCs making a difference in the lives of their patients and improving the quality of wound care every day.

Turner attended a five-day conference in Cincinnati, in late August hosted by the Wound Care Education Institute, and took the WCC examination at the conclusion of the workshop.

She was informed Sept. 7 that she had successfully passed the exam. Credentials are awarded for a five-year period.

“We are very proud of Melissa,” said Debbie Galuk, R.N., MSN, director of Nursing at River’s Bend. “Not only is she becoming an expert in skin care, wound prevention and wound management, but she also is sharing her knowledge with our entire nursing staff to raise overall competence and patient outcomes at our facility.”

Turner joined River’s Bend Health Care six years ago as an LPN and in January completed her RN credential through Ohio University Southern. She has focused her practice on wound care and quality assurance.

Skin and wound management includes the identification, assessment, management, prevention and continuing evaluation of patients with alterations in skin/tissue integrity, that includes but is not limited to pressure, vascular, arterial and diabetic ulcerations, as well as skin conditions resulting from incontinence, surgical procedures and/or trauma.

Skin and wound management is a specialized area that focuses on overall skin care and promotion of an optimal wound environment, including prevention, therapeutic interventions and rehabilitative interventions.

The WCC plays an important role as a direct care provider, educator and resource for optimum patient outcomes in wound and skin care management.

Established in 2003, River’s Bend Health Care is a locally owned and operated 100-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility located in Burlington.

More information is available on the website, rbhcohio.com, or by calling (740) 894-3476.