Ferne T. Elsass MSN, RN, CPN, CWON

Ferne is a master's prepared nurse with 20 years of experience in pediatric nursing and nursing education with the past seven years caring for the needs of the pediatric wound and ostomy patients. Her pediatric knowledge includes pediatric and neonatal intensive care as well as trauma and surgical pediatric patients. Prior to wound and ostomy care, she served as both the clinical education for both the pediatric intensive care and trauma departments. Ferne has worked at the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughter for 20 years and is the Clinical Practice and Education Specialist for Wound and Ostomy.

Ferne graduated from Virginia Tech in 1996 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. She obtained her Nursing Diploma from Sentara School of Health Professions in 1999 and completed her Master’s degree in Nursing Education from Liberty University in 2012. Ferne completed the Wound and Ostomy (WebWOC) program at Metropolitan University in 2014 and became a certified WOC nurse and certified pediatric nurse in 2015. Ferne has been published and presented topics pertaining to pediatric wound care, as well as presented numerous posters at the local and national levels on the safe use of wound care products with pediatric patients.

Ferne is an active member of the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®), serving in several board positions at the local level. Previously as public policy and advocacy co-chair for both the Mid-Atlantic Region (MAR) and Hampton Roads Affiliate, currently she serves as the MAR WOCN Secretary and Hampton Roads Affiliate President-Elect. Ferne is an active and founding member of the Coastal Virginia Society of Pediatric Nurses, serving currently as the President of the local chapter.