Georgina has over 20 years of experience in clinical practice, teaching and learning.

Georgina trained and served as a military nurse within the British Army, serving in mainland UK and on operational duties until 2004, when she moved to the NHS.

Georgina has held NHS roles such as community staff nurse, district nursing sister and modern matron, before coming into education in 2010. Georgina spent ten years at The University of Central Lancashire, most recently leading The Family, Community and Public Health portfolio, and has focused specifically on developing education in community and district nursing, as well as leg ulcer and lower limb care and management, whilst always maintaining an active role in clinical practice.

Georgina is passionate about education as a foundation to support confident and competent clinical practice within the fields of tissue viability and lower limb care.

Workshop at The Society of Tissue Viability 2025 Conference

Managing the foot and toes, a whole leg approach

PRESENTING WITH REBECCA ELWELL, KATY SMYTH AND ANNA SWINBURN

Aims

This workshop is aimed at healthcare professionals who currently apply compression in their practice wanting to increase their awareness of the importance of a whole leg approach.

• To understand how proactive management using compression therapy for the foot and toes can prevent problems: the use of toe garments to prevent swelling
• To dispel myths about compression on the foot: how to compress a swollen foot and how to encase a fragile one
• To increase awareness of managing wet or swollen feet and toes: when to appropriately use toe bandaging and/or foot stumping safely

Abstract

Often, we focus on strong compression therapy for the gaiter area of the lower limb when managing venous and lymphovenous ulceration. Effective strong compression is a corner stone of clinical management. However, too often we see that the foot and toes are neglected.

If the toes and foot have become wet or swollen it can be incredibly difficult to manage. Excoriated wet toes can be excruciatingly painful for patients and problematic for clinicians whose aim is to reverse the damage.

In this 90-minute workshop Georgina Ritchie, Rebecca Elwell, Katy Smyth and Anna Swinburn will discuss how proactive management using compression therapy for the foot and toes can prevent problems from occurring. They will also explore in this practical workshop effective interventions for managing wet or swollen feet and toes.

Presentation at The SoTV/EWMA 2024 Conference, London

Making a difference: How your learning can lead to sustainable change

Learning objectives

After attending this session, persons will be able to:

• Have the opportunity to reflect on and discuss their learning from the days sessions
• Explore the challenges when trying to implement change within their area of practice
• Consider solutions to the challenges and explore their role in helping to achieve success
• Take away a personal pledge to making a sustainable change in wound prevention & management

Abstract

It is well known that following any educational event, applying that learning in to practice can be challenging and this can be for a number of reasons. Not being able to do this can result in poor job satisfaction, frustration and lack of motivation, but more importantly, not being able to implement new knowledge and skills will prevent the change needed for service improvement and better outcomes for patients.

This session, will allow participants to reflect on their learning from the day and to explore the sustainable change they think is needed within their areas of practice. The facilitators will help identify the barriers to implementing change, and suggest solutions or strategies for breaking these barriers down.

Every participant plays an important role in wound prevention and management and at the end of the session, everyone will be asked to commit to a small sustainable change to their practice in the form of a pledge.

Workshop at The Society of Tissue Viability 2023 Conference

Advanced lower limb management – an interactive workshop

Objectives

After attending this session, persons will be able to:

• Explain the factors that cause complexity in lower limb wounds
• Identify when complexities mean that standard therapy may not be enough to promote healing
• Understand the links between mobilty and lower limb wounds
• Understand some advanced techniques via demonstrations although attendance will not lead to clinical competence in using these techniques

Abstract

This workshop is designed for practitoners who are already confident and competent with the management of lower limb ulceration and the application of compression therapy.

The interactive workshop will refresh learners on some of the existing principles of effective compression therapy and introduce new knowledge for when ulceration is complex and standard interventions won’t always be effective.

There will be a show case of some advanced techniques as well as the opportunity to experience a practical taster session. Attendance at this workshop will not ensure learners are competent to undertake these techniques in clinical practice, it will however offer a taster of the knowledge and skills that delegates may wish to go on and develop as they advance their practice.