Lymphedema specialist need in wound clinic?

Specialties Wound

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We have many patients with lymphedema coming to our wound clinic, but many are not seeing a lymphedema specialist regularly - even when we refer them. Mostly it seems due to few lymphedema specialists in our area, lack of proper diagnoses, or the patients are non-compliant and won't go to lymphedema specialists enough (nor perform the therapy enough).

Would it be worth it for a wound clinic nurse to be certified as a lymphedema specialist?

Most nurses in our wound clinic are wound/ostomy certified, but I am not. My employer will not pay for certification/training for me to get wound certified. But possibly if lymphedema certification is valuable, I could advocate for that training. I just would like to hear from folks with experience if that is a good move...or is adding a lymphedema specialist to a wound clinic is expanding the scope of a wound clinic too much.

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I was told by our billing office that Medicare will not reimburse for nurse lymphedema certification. Our go-to for lymphedema is an Occupational Therapist and there is a program specifically for patients with ymphedema, although we apply wraps if there is a wound. That being said, any certification is good if gives you knowledge you want or need. There are online programs for wound certification (WCC) that cost $1,000-$1,500 and you have co-workers who can answer questions (double check--the answer may be wrong!). PESI Healthcare has online and DVD courses to help prepare for certification testing that run around $400, but go on "sale" occasionally for around $200. If your interest drives you to lymphedema, I'd encourage you to get in touch with a lymphedema clinic and see what opportunities exist--the information I was given may be wrong. If you simply want to get a certification, I'd encourage getting wound certification as you're working in a wound clinic and if you enjoy your job. If you have a BSN or BA and have access to a WOCN mentor and you have many years of working ahead of you, it may be worth your time and your own money to get a WOCN certification (wocn.org).

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