9/12/13 History

Home About Us Membership WCET Bulletin Donations Partners Contact Us

Norma N. Gill Foundation Publications Journal Education Congress Members Only

Not yet a member? Click

here to join WCET HISTORY
Includes our quarterly
Journal (JWCET) History of the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists (WCET)

The evolution of Enterostomal Therapy nursing is attributed to the visions of two very dedicated pioneers: Dr Rupert Turnbull, a
colorectal surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic in the USA and Norma N Gill, a former patient who had undergone stoma surgery. Both were
visionary in their belief that there was a need for specialized nursing care for those individuals who had undergone ostomy surgery.
Hence, Enterostomal Therapy was founded in the 1970s.

Founding of the WCET

The WCET was formally founded on May 18, 1978 when 30 Enterostomal Therapists, representing 15 countries and 20 industry
representatives attended the first two-day congress held in Milan, Italy. This meeting was undertaken in conjunction with the
International Ostomy Association (IOA). Norma N Gill from the USA was the first WCET President.

This first forum of Enterostomal Therapists represented a group of people from around the globe, some of whom were not nurses.
They shared a passion for their field of work, dedication to the needs of people undergoing stoma surgery and a driving motivation to
ensure continual improvement in a relatively new field of nursing. Because of the dedication of the initial WCET members, global
communication lines were established among Enterostomal Therapists locally, nationally and internationally. This desire for constant
advancement continues today and is driving Enterostomal Therapy Nursing into the future.
Click on book to
purchase from The WCET celebrated 30 years of advancement in Enterostomal Therapy Nursing in 2008 and is proud of the standards now offered in
international Enterostomal Therapy Nursing care. The WCET is committed to serving the needs of patients and health professionals
Amazon.com and is focused on providing a global forum for international debate, discussion and ideas. The WCET actively encourages members to
contribute to the WCET Journal, share Enterostomal Therapy Best Practice news and techniques and participate in the WCET
Congress.
NEWS FROM
Around the World The History of Enterostomal Therapy (ET)
Enterostomal Therapy Nursing can source its origins to the United States in the late 1950's when the first Enterostomal Therapy
educational program was initiated by Dr Rupert Turnbull and Norma N Gill. Initially, education was directed to patients who had
CAWC
undergone ostomy surgery. It rapidly grew to include candidates from all over the world. In 1961 a formal ostomy rehabilitation
Vancouver, Canada education program was established and the term Enterostomal Therapist (ET) allocated to the graduates.
November 7-10, 2013
The 1970's saw the significance of Enterostomal Therapy as a nursing specialty recognized internationally and embraced by Australia,
Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand and South Africa. Norma N Gill aspired that health professionals interested in stoma care should
unite into a worldwide association. In 1975 she initiated a movement to organize a formal group by contacting other international
WCET UK Website pioneers in stoma care. On 6 October 1976 eleven representatives met for the first time in the UK.

Enterostomal Therapists have always had close links with industry and a distinctive association in shared goal achievement. It is one
International Ostomy of the few arenas where the opinions and needs of the professionals are actively sought out by the industry suppliers in a uniquely
collaborative relationship. This has been true from the very inception of Enterostomal Therapy Nursing as demonstrated by the fact
Guidelines that a meeting with industry representatives took place on the same day. The need for open lines of communication between
[email protected] different countries and suppliers was apparent. It was felt that the representatives would be more familiar with such details as the
effects of climate on equipment, the issues of international transport of supplies and import taxes levied by different countries.

Start making plans!

Past WCET Congresses
WCET 2014 Congress
The first forum was held in Milan in 1978. At the time of the second conference, which was held in Dsseldorf in 1979, the WCET
Gothenburg, Sweden membership had increased to over 130 members, representing 17 countries.

June 15-19, 2014 The third annual WCET Congress was held in Cleveland, Ohio, USA in 1980. There were 300 delegates from 20 countries in
attendance, prompting Norma N Gill, our founder, to exclaim "theres no stopping now.
For more information
go to At the WCET Congress held in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2008, there were 1296 attendees from 47 countries.

www.wcet2014.com To date the WCET congresses have taken place in:

1978 Milan, Italy

1979 Dsseldorf, Germany

1980 Cleveland, Ohio, USA

1982 Munich, Germany

1984 Transkei, Southern Africa

1986 Perth, Australia

1988 Gothenburg, Sweden

1990 Toronto, Canada

1992 Lyon, France

www.wcetn.org/history 1/2
9/12/13 History
1992 Lyon, France

1994 Yokohama, Japan

1996 Jerusalem, Israel

1998 Brighton, England

2000 Singapore

2002 Florence, Italy

2004 Florianopolis, Brazil

2006 Hong Kong, China

2008 Ljubljana, Slovenia

2010 Phoenix, Arizona, USA

2012 Adelaide, Australia

Home Membership Contact Partners

Copyright 2013 The World Council of Enterostomal Therapists. All rights reserved.
WCET is professionally managed by Association Headquarters, a charter accredited Association Management Company.

www.wcetn.org/history 2/2