RN - WOUND CARE

Independence Health System•Butler Township, PA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Registered Nurse (RN) in Wound Care is responsible for providing direct patient care, maintaining professional knowledge, ensuring quality of care, protecting patients and employees through infection control, documenting patient services, and maintaining patient confidentiality. This role involves establishing patient care requirements, promoting patient independence through education, maintaining a safe and clean working environment, and resolving patient problems through multidisciplinary team strategies. The RN will also ensure the operation of equipment, manage nursing supplies inventory, and may provide direct oversight of other care team members, including conducting comprehensive assessments and initiating interprofessional plans of care. Additionally, the RN will coordinate communications between patients, families, physicians, pharmacies, specialists, and insurance carriers, provide advice based on protocols, facilitate prescription refills, obtain prior authorizations, and complete medication reconciliation. The role involves evaluating adherence to Clinical Pathways, demonstrating competence in patient and family education specific to wound care, and adhering to policies for HBOT patient care and safety. The RN may also assist with HBOT procedures and complete necessary training. Accurate patient assessment and visit information entry are required.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited Nursing Program required.
One (1) year Med/Surg Experience
Strong leadership ability, good organizational skills, independent and critical thinking skills, sound judgment, and knowledge of legal aspects and liability of nursing practice.
Strong ability to communicate complex and/or controversial topics and concepts to a wide and diverse audience.
Current licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Pennsylvania required.
Current Basic Life Support (BLS) approved curriculum of the American Heart Association (CPR and AED) program required.
Act 33 with renewal.
Act 34 with renewal.
Act 73 FBI Clearance with renewal.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing preferred.
Previous experience in an outpatient office setting.
National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy Certification Board (NAWCCB): credential is Wound Care Certified (WCC).
Wound Ostomy Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB): credential Certified Wound Care Nurse (CWCN).
American Board of Wound Management (ABWM): credential Certified Wound Specialist (CWS).

Responsibilities

Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending education workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies.
Assure quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards, measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards, making or recommending necessary adjustments, and following system/hospital and nursing division's philosophies and standards of care set by state board of nursing, state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations.
Protect patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
Document patient care services by charting in patient and department records.
Maintain continuity among nursing teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs using Nurse Knowledge Exchange techniques.
Maintain patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
Identify patient care requirements by establishing personal rapport with potential and actual patients, and other persons in a position to understand care requirements.
Establish a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
Promote patient's independence by establishing patient care goals, teaching patient/family to understand condition, medications, and self-care skills, and answering questions.
Maintain safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules and regulations; calling for assistance from health care support personnel.
Resolve patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary team strategies.
Maintain a cooperative relationship among health care teams by communicating information, responding to requests, building rapport, and participating in team continuous quality improvement and problem-solving methods.
Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
Ensure operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements by following manufacturer's instructions, troubleshooting malfunctions, calling for repairs, maintaining equipment inventories, and evaluating new equipment and techniques.
Maintain nursing supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level, anticipating needed supplies, placing and expediting orders for supplies, verifying receipt of supplies, and using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results.
Provide direct oversight of the GN, LPN, Technical Partner, ALS Technician, Nurse Extern and Unit Clerks, including conducting the initial comprehensive assessment and interpreting the assessment to initiate the interprofessional plan of care, and supporting the delegation of duties.
Coordinates communications between patients/families and physician practice, pharmacies, specialists, and insurance carriers.
Provides advice based on protocols and physician instructions and directs patients to the appropriate level of care.
Facilitates patient's access to prescription refills based on physician order.
Obtains prior authorizations and/or assists with indigent programs per physician order based on the patient's financial status or insurance coverage.
Completes medication reconciliation according to policy.
Provide continuity of care for patients in collaboration with physicians, with accountability for planning according to Pathways and policies/procedures.
Evaluates adherence to the Clinical Pathway for assigned patient group in collaboration with physician.
Demonstrates competence in patient and family education including, but not limited to, etiology, comprehensive wound care, dressings, edema control, specialty foot care and life style changes.
Adheres to all policies/procedures for HBOT patient care/safety.
Assists HBOT technician with patient care as needed.
Completes HBOT training course if deemed necessary for center operations.
Accomplishes all supportive tasks/duties assigned and deemed to be safe by the program safety coordinator (when applicable).
Attends IHEAL training.
Enters patient assessment and visit information accurately and according to policy.
Completes Level of Care accurately.
Other related duties as assigned.