The management of the patient with an ulcer finds answers through the offer of the national health system. But in view of the decentralisation of health care organisation to the regions, patients with wound healing problems often find themselves with different and not always overlapping care paths. In this regard, the State, through the Ministry of Health, has defined minimum levels of care, specific pathways by pathology, but the delivery methods are not always homogeneous. Increasingly, experiences are gaining ground that, by making use of technology, reduce the time needed to take charge of and manage individual patients in the face of a diversified level of need.

Nursing Science represents a newer academic discipline on mainland Europe resulting in increased decision-making with responsibilities for the delivery of health care. The timely decisions should be based on the latest evidence to enhance patient outcomes. During the last years nurses became leaders in research for example in wound care. Nursing research develops knowledge about health and the promotion of health over the full lifespan, care of persons with health problems and disabilities, and nursing actions to enhance the ability of individuals to respond effectively to actual or potential health problems. During this presentation, examples of nurse research projects in wound care, such as the development of nurse-led wound clinics, telenursing and artificial intelligence will be outlined.

Every year 100s of thousands of papers are published in the field of healthcare. The quality and standard of these papers varies and so too do their impact. How are busy clinicians supposed to identify appropriate sources of information to inform decision making and how easily can they access and appraise this literature. Building a wound care journal requires an excellent editorial board, a robust peer-review process, an understanding of the target audience and the publication of papers that are of the highest possible standard. This presentation will consider the publication process and factors such as impact factor and quality criteria.

The World Health Assembly has declared 2020 the International Year of the Nurse. The COVID -19 pandemic underscored the leading role of nurses as frontline caregivers and highlighted the need to invest in the nursing workforce worldwide to meet global health needs. Today, nurses are also at the forefront of research; one example is skin and wound care. In a systematic review of articles published in five leading international journals on wound care in 1998, 2008, and 2018, Gethin et al (2020) concluded that the total proportion of nurse-led articles was 29% (n = 286). The total number of articles increased over time, as did the proportion of nurse-led articles. Nurse-led research was strongest in the design categories of cohort studies (46%, n = 44), systematic reviews (46%, n = 19), and critically appraised literature and evidence-based guidelines (47%, n = 55).

Leaders in academic nursing and national/international wound care organisations (such as the European Wound Management Association and the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel) are continually evaluating wound care curricula to ensure they are preparing the next generation of clinicians to meet the health care needs of the public. Not only is there a need to determine what constitutes quality wound care education, but it is also time to rethink the role of faculty in an increasingly complex learning environment where research, teaching, practice, and service are critical. In today's academic environment, scholarship should address researchers as well as practitioners, educators, and policy makers.

The introduction and development of Advanced Practice Nursing was one of the most important developments in nursing in the twentieth century (Oddsdottir & Sveinsdottir, 2011). The International Council of Nurses (ICN) defines an advanced practice nurse (APN) as "a registered nurse who has acquired the expert knowledge base, complex decision-making skills, and clinical competencies for advanced practice, the characteristics of which are shaped by the context and/or country in which he/she is licensed to practice. A master's degree is recommended for entry" (Shober & Affara, 2006). Competencies and job responsibilities are well defined by Hamric et al. (2013) and include clinical and professional leadership, change management and innovation, research, clinical expertise, expert guidance and coaching, consultation and consultancy, multidisciplinary collaboration and care coordination, and ethical decision making. In 2016, the AACN released Advancing Healthcare Transformation: A New Era for Academic Nursing, a report that makes recommendations to improve nursing's contribution to improving health care and the nation's health. The report includes a new definition for academic nursing. This presentation will discuss the role of the academic nurse in skin and wound care and highlight the impact of these roles on evidence generation, implementation, education, and leadership.