Ms Freeman – Clinical Nurse Specialist, founder of the Port Macquarie Wound Care Clinic and Chair of the Wounds Australia Clinical Expert Advisory Panel (pictured) – will explore the crucial distinction between empowering patients to take part in their healing journey and simply handing responsibility for wound care over to them.

With patients increasingly managing aspects of their wound care between appointments, clear education and ongoing clinical oversight are essential. This is particularly important in regional, rural and remote communities, where patients may face longer gaps between clinical reviews.

Ms Freeman will share practical frameworks clinicians can use to teach patients essential wound self-care skills, including dressing changes, recognising signs of infection and knowing when and how to escalate concerns. She will also examine common pitfalls that can leave patients feeling unsupported and potentially contribute to complications, delayed healing and preventable hospital presentations.

Ms Freeman will share practical frameworks clinicians can use to teach patients essential wound self-care skills, including dressing changes, recognising signs of infection and knowing when and how to escalate concerns. She will also examine common pitfalls that can leave patients feeling unsupported and potentially contribute to complications, delayed healing and preventable hospital presentations.

Ms Freeman will share practical frameworks clinicians can use to teach patients essential wound self-care skills, including dressing changes, recognising signs of infection and knowing when and how to escalate concerns. She will also examine common pitfalls that can leave patients feeling unsupported and potentially contribute to complications, delayed healing and preventable hospital presentations.

Attendees will come away with practical teaching strategies and key messages they can use with patients, along with 10 must-haves for effective wound self-care.

The session reinforces a simple but important principle: self-care is a partnership between patients and clinicians. Giving people the knowledge, skills and confidence to participate in their own wound care doesn't mean withdrawing care – it means sharing it effectively.