UofL Health is a fully integrated regional academic health system with five hospitals, four medical centers, nearly 200 physician practice locations, more than 700 providers, the Frazier Rehab Institute and Brown Cancer Center. With more than 12,000 team members—physicians, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists and other highly skilled health care professionals—UofL Health is focused on one mission: delivering patient-centered care to each and every patient each and every day
The Wound Ostomy Care Nurse (WOCN) improves the quality of patient care and nursing practice with resultant improved patient outcomes. The employee serves as a clinical expert and proficient educator, consultant, researcher, change agent, leader and interdisciplinary collaborator in wound/ostomy/incontinence care and patient education, health promotion, restoration, and maintenance, and disease prevention through UofL Health.
The employee identifies, develops, and delivers educational programs for both individuals and groups in both clinical and classroom settings, fosters empowerment of Nursing staff by providing clinical instruction and support to assure clinical competency of staff and safe effective delivery of patient care, incorporating evidence-based practice, nursing research, and appropriate skill set standards and recommended practices in wound/ostomy/incontinence care.
The employee actively participates in both quality improvement and nursing research processes and supports the core behaviors, standards, values, and missions of the organization, accrediting bodies, and profession of Nursing as a professional role model.
- Works as a clinical expert o Collaborates with Nursing and interdisciplinary colleagues to assess, plan, implement and evaluate strategies to address complex patient care situations and solutions to complex patient care processes utilizing bio-psychosocial assessment and medical history of the patient o Collaborates with Nursing Leadership to develop, evaluate, and implement standards of patient care/care planning and professional practice with attention to cost effectiveness, comfort, safety, age specific implications, and cultural competence o Obtains and maintains certifications in clinical and educational specialty
- Educator/Researcher o Plans and coordinates in-services, orientation, and educational programs for clinical staff to meet competency assessment requirements in accordance with departmental objectives and appropriate accreditation standards relevant to wound/ostomy/incontinence education o Critically analyzes current nursing research methods and outcomes for inclusion in the curriculum content of education to support patient care initiatives o Supports and demonstrates validated evidence-based practice
- Consultant/Interdisciplinary Collaborator/Facilitator o Serves as an educational consultant and/or facilitator for wound/ostomy/incontinence to hospital committees, task forces, and project teams o Collaborates with physicians and nursing staff to develop multidisciplinary plans of care for the wound/ostomy/incontinence patient inclusive of measurable patient outcomes; monitors patient responses to treatment and works with physicians and nursing staff to make changes to the plan of care, as needed
- Facilitates appropriate referrals for wound/ostomy/incontinence patients to other healthcare professionals and resources including aiding with patient discharge planning needs Other Functions:
- Demonstrates a commitment to service, organization values and professionalism through appropriate conduct and demeanor
- Serves as a role model to Nursing Staff in the delivery of excellent patient care for wound/ostomy/incontinence patients and their families
- Assists and provides direction to staff with clinical decision making and priority setting in wound/ostomy/incontinence patient care including interpretation of diagnostic test results
- Serves as a patient/family advocate, incorporating respect for and acknowledgement of cultural diversity and individual patient needs
- Adheres to organizational and department specific safety standards and guidelines
- Facilitates the ongoing education and professional development of the nursing staff and nursing students, as well as all clinical care providers, in the area of wound/ostomy/incontinence education
- Plans, prepares, and maintains materials for use in competency-based educational programs relevant to skill set populations utilizing appropriate standards and recommended practices as well as validated evidence-based research
- Collaborates in the development or modification of patient education materials
- Serves as a consultant to clinical staff, physicians, administration, Nursing school programs, and the public for wound/ostomy/incontinence education and the clinical nursing care of hospitalized wound/ostomy/incontinence patients
- Collaborates and supports nursing student clinical rotations
- Works with vendors to maintain cost-effective wound and ostomy formulary
- Expands the scientific base of nursing practice by initiating and/or participating in continuous quality improvement activities and/or research studies
- Incorporates current research findings into clinical and educational activities
- Disseminates research findings through clinical presentations and publications
- Challenges existing practice when not in line with current best practice research
- Represents the hospital in the community when needed, promoting research efforts, evidence-based clinical practice advancements, and development of educational activities
- Develops programs that assist attendees to embrace change as a desired process to support best practice
- Strives for congruence between educational activities and organizations mission and goals
- Maintains compliance with all company policies, procedures and standards of conduct
- Complies with HIPAA privacy and security requirements to maintain confidentiality at all times
- Performs other duties as assigned Additional
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) (required) • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) (preferred)
• Three (3) years clinical practice as a registered nurse (required) • Previous education and teaching experience (preferred)
- Active Kentucky Registered Nurse License or compact license with privileges to work in Kentucky Certification:
- Basic Life Support (BLS) accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA) (required)
- Wound/Ostomy Care Certification within one (1) year of hire (required)