Read the Full Video Transcript

Diane Newman: Welcome to UroToday and our online medical education program. I'm Diane Newman. I'm a certified urology nurse practitioner, and I'm really excited today because I want to introduce you to Jeff Albaugh, who's a board-certified urology clinical nurse specialist. He and I have practiced now for many years. He's in Chicago, I'm in Philadelphia, and he's really an expert in the area of urology. He's going to talk to us today about the current second edition of the Core Curriculum for Urologic Nursing, which was recently published by SUNA, the Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates. Welcome, Jeff.

Jeffrey Albaugh: Thank you so much, Diane. I really appreciate the opportunity to be with you today.

Diane Newman: So why don't you tell us a little bit about the book? Because I know this is a second edition. You've been working on it for a long time. But it's so informative, so I want you to give us a synopsis of what anyone who purchases this Core Curriculum can find within this text.

Jeffrey Albaugh: So first of all, what I'd like to say is the original Core, which was originally published years back, was an essential, critical resource for all of us. And, Diane, you did an amazing job and set the groundwork with that Core Curriculum that all of us use. I had one in every one of my practice settings. I had one there to refer to. It was a phenomenal resource, and we were all so excited to finally have this amazing educational piece.

But as you know, after so many years, it has to be updated. And you laid the groundwork with a beautiful foundation of a wonderful Core, and we just built off of that original Core. So I have to give you and the original editors incredible acknowledgment for what you did. I used that resource; everybody used that resource. It is such an important thing, but it has to be updated.

And I know how much work it was and how difficult it was. So when they came to me and said, “We need to update this Core, and we need somebody to work on it”—of course, it's an enormous amount of work—I felt it had to be done because you had laid this incredible groundwork, but it needed to be updated. So I was excited to be a part of that.

That was over three years ago. [LAUGHS] And as you know, Diane, it's an incredible endeavor to work on something like this Core Curriculum, which we want to have contain all the evidence-based knowledge that is needed to practice in urology. So it was a big undertaking but exciting.

I think you and I share a passion for educating and providing really good evidence-based information to both patients and providers. Your career has been built on it, and mine has too. So I felt that it was necessary to step up and do this.

One exciting thing about the Core this time is they had the original amazing Core, and they said, “Let's divide the Core up a little bit into separate books.” They decided to divide that original Core Curriculum into three books: one specifically in pediatric urology; one specifically—mine—in adult urology; and one that is really aimed toward nursing assistants, medical assistants, physician assistants who work in our practice, as well as people brand new to urology, so a little bit more basic version of the Core. Those are the three Cores that were in the works. Two of those Cores are completed—my adult version and that other version that is more of a basic version for people new to urology as well as for our medical assistants—which, let's be honest, Diane, these are the people who are working on the front line with patients every day and need that information. So it's exciting to have those three Cores that have been in the works. The pediatric one is not done yet, but the other two are complete and in print.

Diane Newman: Jeff, you brought up a really good point in the fact that it needed an update because there are so many changes in urology that you need to keep current with what's going on within practice.

Jeffrey Albaugh: Definitely. And so you and I both believe, in the end, eventually, that this Core Curriculum should be electronic so it can be updated even more regularly than when you put it into print, because things change. Things change all the time. And so after five years, they wanted to update the Core Curriculum, and so that's what we did.

This adult urology version really focuses on adult urology. Specifically, the pediatric sections were pulled out, although we do have embryology and some things to do with pediatrics in this version. But there is going to be a specific version for pediatrics. This version is the adult urology version for people who work in urology and want, at their fingertips, all the information about urology practice.

Diane Newman: And I was really impressed here because I went through the list of authors, and you really have a multidisciplinary group here as authors and experts in their specific area, which was, I think, very impressive and, actually, I think is a big upgrade from the first edition. So I really have to commend you and your group and SUNA's group for doing this because it gives different perspectives about practice, which is so important.

And you said something else really important as far as using it in your practice. We have many advanced practice providers in urology, and we actually buy one for each new individual coming in because, as you know, Jeff, a lot of our EPPs and even our nurses and our medical assistants come in with not necessarily urology experience. This, I think, really gives them the foundation of what they need to know to care for these patients.

Jeffrey Albaugh: I agree wholeheartedly, and it's just such an amazing resource. It's funny—when the new Core came out, I went to show it to one of my colleagues, another nurse practitioner who works in the urology department with me, and another colleague came in, and they were fighting over it because they're like, “I need that. I'm getting ready to do a bladder instillation. Can I have that?” And the other one's like, “Wait, I'm trying to read this book.” There's so much good information in there, and I think it's a critical, critical resource.

Diane Newman: Yeah, and you just brought up something else important. There are procedures in here. You're exactly right. You have bladder irrigation here. You have how to change a suprapubic catheter. I mean, I was just really impressed with not only the knowledge that's in here that you need to know for practicing urology but also some of the procedures. Urology is so device dominated. I have to thank you for allowing me to update the chapter on catheters and devices. But we need to know that, and that is changing, with new technology coming out all the time, so it's very difficult to keep current with that. I was really impressed with the fact that you kept the same theme but really add a lot more meat and, of course, updated the whole book.

Jeffrey Albaugh: It was very exciting. And the original book had some amazing figures and tables that you allowed us to use again, and so we built on—there were some wonderful pieces there. I had a much easier job because all I had to do was build on the amazing resource that you had created, along with the other editors. And so we were able to just build on it, and it was exciting.

But you're right—the authors were a big deal. We invited back some of the authors from the past, but we certainly invited new authors to come on as well. One really exciting thing was at the University of Texas—actually, one of the practices there—the whole practice of physician assistants took on the chapter on imaging, and it was really exciting to see them take that chapter on. They each worked on sections, and then they came together and pulled it all together. That was a really exciting thing to have multiple authors working on that chapter together.

Diane Newman: Jeff, and I probably should have asked you this before, but, Jeff, is there anything new—any new chapters that you've added to this second edition?

Jeffrey Albaugh: There is. So let me show you here what's new. Of course, we updated all the information with the most up-to-date, evidence-based practice as well. Some guidelines had completely changed. When I think about renal cell cancer and upper urothelial cancer, that entire chapter—the new author said, “I have to completely get rid of the chapter. The guidelines have changed so drastically that I have to start over.” She created new figures. The entire chapter is brand new because she said the guidelines changed so drastically.

But we do have one completely new chapter that we thought was exciting, and it's actually on common medical conditions that impact the genitourinary system. We wanted the Core to be really about urology and for people who work in urology, but we did want to add this chapter on some of the medical conditions—like multiple sclerosis, stroke, cardiovascular disease—that have a major impact on urologic function. So that is a brand-new chapter.

Diane Newman: Yeah, I looked at that, Jeff. I looked at that chapter. That was really impressive because you go through Parkinson's, you go through a lot of medical conditions that have urologic complications, or they affect the urinary system—the kidneys, the bladder, lower and upper urinary tract. So I did go through the Core extensively, and I was really impressed with that chapter. That was a nice addition.

Jeffrey Albaugh: Yeah, I was really pleased with that chapter, and I kept pushing and pressuring those authors, saying, “I need you to link them directly with the urologic things. This is still for urologic practice, but I want you to talk about how these things impact the genitourinary system,” and they did a great job. There's a lot of good information in there—it's a pretty long chapter, so it's got a lot of good information in there—but I'm excited about it.

We did combine a couple of chapters too. We took the STI chapter on sexually transmitted infections, and we actually combined the male and female because some of the information certainly is germane to both men and women, but then there's also information specifically for men and specifically for women. So it was exciting to bring those authors from each of those previous chapters together to form this new merged chapter.

And then thank you so much, Diane. One of your chapters got merged—the chapter on urinary incontinence. Before, there was a separate chapter on surgical treatment of urinary incontinence, and Dr. Clemens and yourself were kind enough to work together to merge that into one chapter, and I was excited to see that chapter merged as well.

Diane Newman: Yeah, I think you did a really good redo of this book because you're right—I think combining that chapter made sense. So it really seems like you really took what that first edition was and tried to streamline it, as well as updating it.

And a lot of the GU cancers—you're correct—that has changed so much in the past few years. And I know from doing a lot of writing (you do a lot of writing), it's so difficult to keep up to date. By the time you publish something, things have changed. But I have to commend you because this second edition is really comprehensive and really current. So I think you guys have done a really good job.

And we really want to commend SUNA because I think the growth of nonphysicians in urology is just so rapid. They really need—this textbook is, I think, imperative. If you're coming into urology, you need to really have a copy, Jeff.

And I think you're right—online is going to be a good way to go, but I like having that material, looking it up before I go in a room. Like you have two chapters, one on male assessment, one on female assessment. What are the different systems I really want to make sure I get in my assessment as well as in my notes and that? So I think it's just really a good resource. I mean, I don't know—there's nothing else like it, is there?

Jeffrey Albaugh: No, there's really not. And even when you go to look at these resources, you may think, “Wow, I mean, textbooks are expensive,” but in the end, I really have to commend SUNA because they lose money on this. There's no doubt about it. This is not a money-making venture. This is definitely something that we put out there because we believe so strongly in it, but it is not something, typically, that they get the money back on that is spent for it, necessarily. But it's an incredible resource, and like you, that's why I was like, “I have to get one for each of my clinics.” And I love that you actually give one to each new staff member that comes on. Even better idea. I think it's so important.

You hit on another really important point that I tried really hard to do with each chapter—and you know we did it with your chapters as well—was to streamline the information and not have any erroneous information because it's overwhelming, right? But yet, all the critical information has to be there. And that's why each chapter was really reviewed by peer experts, and we just tried to make sure that we have the essential, excellent information in there.

It's still over 700 pages long, and it's got a lot of information in it. So it may feel a little overwhelming, but I think that it really contains the essential information for adult urology. And your two chapters are amazing. I really appreciated your work on it and you sharing your expertise.

Diane Newman: Thanks so much, Jeff, for really sharing this with us. And anybody who's listening, please—this is a resource that you need. I know some of my residents even use it, and I think that it's really important.

Here, Jeff is showing you that if you're going to become certified in urology, you really need this textbook. You need to review it because it has all the knowledge, and it really is a foundational resource for urology.

Jeffrey Albaugh: Definitely. I think, like you said, it's a great resource for people—either this version or the other version for people brand new to urology—but certainly for people who... you and I have worked in urology for decades now. I mean, that's just the reality of it. But I still go to this resource constantly, and I'm so glad to have it in my clinics, and everybody else there is thrilled to have it there too. And it is the resource to prepare for certification as well. But I believe everybody should have one, and I hope they'll get it.

I mean, we both know the time and energy that was put into this by the authors, by the reviewers, by SUNA, by each of us, but it is so well worth it. And I'll be honest with you, it's a labor of love, but it is a critical resource that I'm so excited to have out there. And thank you for starting this whole journey with the foundational work that you did.

Diane Newman: Thanks so much, Jeff, for sharing this. I know our viewers will really probably be accessing this textbook. It's really needed. Thanks so much.

Jeffrey Albaugh: Thank you.