Job Description

The hospital-based W&O Nurse serves as an expert clinical nurse and consultant for the acute and rehabilitative care of patients with selected disorder of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and integumentary systems such as acute and chronic wounds (ed. Complex draining wounds, fistulae, pressure injury, and vascular injuries), ostomies, percutaneous tubes and continence disorders. Professional responsibilities are carried out through direct patient care, clinical consultation, education, research, and administration.

Education & Professional Duties

• Professional Practice

• Works closely with Purchasing Department in the research and selection of evidence-based products necessary to support continues quality improvement, maximizing patient care and outcomes.
• Monitors specialty bed utilization, making recommendations as appropriate.
• Collaborates with the multidisciplinary team of health care professionals and integrates wound ostomy knowledge and skills to develop policies, protocols, and procedures based on research, current national guidelines, and best practice guidelines.
• Participates in committees whose function is related to his/her field of expertise including collaborative practice committees, nursing councils, and patient care conferences.
• Participates in interdepartmental and Shared Governance Council meetings.
• Coordinates and participates in the monitoring of patient and organizational wound ostomy outcomes.
• Coordinates collection of data for prevalence surveys.
• Assists the nursing and medical staff in maintaining current knowledge and competence for patients with wound ostomy needs by providing formal or informal continuing education programs, clinical rounds, lunch and learn sessions, orientation sessions, etc.

• Professional Development

• Identifies knowledge and skills needed through self-assessment, peer review, and customer feedback.
• Pursues opportunities for professional growth by attending conferences and seminars pertinent to wound ostomy practice.
• Participates in a variety of educational activities to enhance wound ostomy knowledge and competence and maintain certification.
• Demonstrate and supports the organizations’ mission, values, and goals.

General Duties and Responsibilities: Wound Care

• Utilizes and demonstrates nursing process competence and knowledge in the assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation of care for patients of all ages with W&O needs.

• Provides consultation for individuals with altered skin integrity (ie: pressure injuries, draining wounds, fistulae) to develop and individualized plan of care and attain expected outcomes.

• Provides guidance to staff in implementing protocols to identify, control, or eliminate etiologic factors for skin breakdown, including selection of appropriate support surfaces.

• With a physician’s order, provides appropriate debridement of devitalized tissue (e.g.: conservative sharp debridement, silver nitrate [AgNO3] cauterization of nonproliferative wound edges, hypergranulation tissue, or to control minor bleeding).

• Provides appropriate education to patients, caregivers, and staff regarding skin care, wound management, care of percutaneous tubes, and draining wound/fistulae management.

• Utilizes and maintains current physical, psychosocial, clinical assessment, and therapeutic communication skills to determine individual patient needs and expected outcomes.

• Validates pressure injury data collection for nursing quality indicators (e.g. pressure injuries and restraint use.)

• Participates & leads Quarterly Skin Prevalence Surveys in collaboration with unit leadership and the Program Manager of Wound Healing.

Ostomy Care

• Provides pre-operative and post-operative education to patients (and their families) who are undergoing ostomy surgery, with consideration of the need for physical and psychological adaptation.

• Marks the stoma site preoperatively by determining the appropriate site for stoma placement with consideration for the patient’s anatomical markings, physical capabilities, and lifestyle.

• Assesses the stoma and stoma functioning and initiates appropriate procedures for stoma care (e.g. measures/fits a pouching system, teaches care of stoma/peristomal skin and pouch).

• Provides appropriate educational information to patients, including postoperative and discharge instructions about care, referrals, and supply needs.

• Serves as a resource for patients after discharge through telephone consultation or outpatient services within the scope of W&O nursing practice (e.g. stoma clinic, wound centers).

Continence Care

• Treatment and prevention of moisture associated dermatitis (MASD), incontinence associated dermatitis (IAD), fungal rashes, and pseudoverrucous lesions.

• Insertion of Fecal management Systems (FMS) for liquid stools.

• Recommends containment/absorptive products and devices and skin care regimens.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

Basic Life Support Certification; advanced clinical knowledge; application of the education process; application of nursing research process; problem solving abilities with complex systems.

EDUCATION: RN, BSN and completion of an accredited wound ostomy education program(s).

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: Two years

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS :

Maintains certification as Wound Ostomy Nurse. Credential for certification may be obtained through the WOCN Society which is approved by the American Nurses Association, the Wound Care Education Institute and the American Board of Wound Management.

CWCN (Certified Wound Care Nurse)

COCN (Certified Ostomy Care Nurse)

CWON (Certified Wound Ostomy Nurse)

Holds a current license in the state of Ohio. BLS certification