RN-Wound/Skin Care

Responsibilities

• Acts as a resource person and consultant for all wound, ostomy and incontinence related issues for healthcare team members, patients/families and outside facilities.
• Initiates and provides on-going assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation for hospitalized patients with skin care issues.
• Collaborates with providers on skin related issues. Assumes responsibility for developing a plan of care that is mutually established with the patient and family.
• Identifies patient/family teaching needs by direct assessment and observation. Provides education to patients, families, healthcare providers and the community.
• Incorporates evidence based educational theories and adult educational principles.
• Participates in the development of structured patient teaching programs and materials.
• Collaborates with the patient/family to anticipate steps needed to ensure safe transitions in care.
• Administers medications and nursing treatments within scope of practice.
• Incorporates St. Luke’s Comfort/C.A.R.E. Professional Practice Model in their daily nursing care.
• Demonstrates good verbal and written communication skills with patients, families, healthcare team members and other customers.
• Verbal communication is clear and precise. EMR documentation is done in accordance with hospital and department policies.
• Multidisciplinary patient charting is completed in real-time to assure that goals of care and patient outcomes are being achieved.
• Hand-offs are done with attention to detail and with safety as a high priority. Hand-offs are utilized to communicate patient treatment and assessment information, patient education needs, goals of care and other quality care measures at each change of caregiver or setting of care.
• Tools are consistently utilized for hand-offs to assure that critical information is shared and updated with each hand-off.
• Communicates with providers during routine rounding and as needed.
• Participates in hospital shared governance infrastructure and performance improvement activities.
• Complies with changes in clinical practice and standards.
• Uses WOCN guidelines as first point of reference.
• Supports/participates in interpretation of clinical literature and uses to validate and/or change clinical practice.
• Utilizes Advanced Practice Nurses to assist with research process.
• Maintains safety through use of established infection prevention principles, safe patient handling programs, and speak up culture.

Qualifications

• Completion of an accredited nursing program
• Two years of clinical experience
• Must possess a current RN licensure in the State of Iowa or compact state.
• Must possess a comprehensive knowledge of WOCN nursing theory and practice and an expanded knowledge of current clinical and specialized patient care concepts.
• Writes, reads, comprehends and speaks fluent English
• Multicultural sensitivity
• Demonstrates proficiency in the manual skills and techniques required to perform basic/advanced nursing procedures in the administration of medication therapy and the operation of specialized equipment
• Able to complete a basic computer course on the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) through in-hospital training
• Able to use usual and customary equipment used to perform essential functions of the position.