The WOC nurse in home care.

Visiting nurses have provided care to people in their homes for more than a century. Although their role has changed dramatically during the past 100 years, home care nurses remain committed to the key principle of promoting health and welfare while sustaining the values of patient and the home. Patients referred for home care today have increasingly complex and extensive needs. Financial constraints imposed by the government and insurance carriers have accelerated the need for efficiency and excellence in communication, coordination of care, and management of these patients. The WOC/ET nurse practicing in home care can play an invaluable role in promoting positive patient outcomes, developing patient care policies and treatment plans, and establishing standards of care for patients receiving care for chronic wounds, ostomies, or incontinence.