Overview

Description Summary:The Wound Care Clinician performs skilled nursing assessment and specialized care, including interventions, treatment and education to patients at risk for or with actual deficits in skin integrity, such as those with pressure ulcers, arterial, venous, diabetic and other types of wounds. The role includes case finding, consulting, making referrals, formulating treatment plans, educating the nursing staff and physician staff, auditing charts, collecting data and developing / managing quality improvement processes, developing / updating skin care policies and procedures. Reports to the Director of Nursing Quality and Professional Practice.Responsibilities:1. Wound Care Patient Management. Criteria A: Uses diagnostic skills to assess effectiveness of patient care decisions, performs wound therapeutic modalities with a full understanding of pathophysiology and indication for therapy and takes appropriate action if such therapy is contraindicated or side effects develop. Wound Care Patient Management. Criteria B: Assesses effectiveness of wound treatment, involves the physician in the plan and delivery of care, and makes referrals as necessary. Wound Care Patient Management. Criteria C: Instructs staff and develops staff member's wound care skills in managing the skin integrity and troubleshooting issues specific for each patient. Wound Care Patient Management. Criteria D: Teaches the patient and family about prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers and other skin integrity issues.2. Wound Care Procedures Criteria A: Prepares, evaluates, and instructs patients in wound management plans. Instructs the patient and family in new therapies and allows for questions to verify patient/family understanding. Wound Care Procedures Criteria B: Performs basic patient assessments, wound measurements and assessments, documentation, photography, etc., per policies. Wound Care Procedures Criteria C: Evaluates and recommends appropriate therapies in an objective, assertive, and professional manner; demonstrates critical thinking skills, assessment skills, and proper technique in identifying, diagnosing, staging, and treating skin integrity problems. Wound Care Procedures Criteria D: In collaboration with Wound Care Specialist reviews all policies, practice guidelines, and products at least annually to ensure that treatment remains state-of-the-art, and makes recommendations for changes as necessary.3. Documentation Criteria A: Documents information in the appropriate record in complete detail. Documentation Criteria B: In collaboration with Wound Care Specialist will assist in developing and documenting wound care, determining quality indicators, analyings data for trends, graph data and develop written and verbal reports. Documentation Criteria C: Implement competency checklists and teaching plans to assist in developing RN skin care and to develop skills of staff nurses and PCTs, commensurate with the scope of each discipline's practice. Documentation Criteria D: In collaboration with Wound Care Specialist reviews policies, guidelines, and forms for documentation of skin integrity issues, at least annually, and updates/makes revisions and recommendations as needed, and develops and/or revises teaching materials for patients and families.4. Supports in implementation of a comprehensive Wound Care Program for Inpatient Services, the Emergency Department, and OR Services. Criteria A: Implements written plan for scope of services and updates on an annual basis, with standards and target goals for quality and process improvement. Assist in measuring goal progress and providing appropriate data/information to provide a written report delivered quarterly and for inclusion on the Nursing dashboard. Supports in implementation of a comprehensive Wound Care Program for Inpatient Services, the Emergency Department, and OR Services. Criteria B: In collaboration with Wound Care Specialist sets, revises, and reviews all policies and proto