Wound and Ostomy Nurse; RN​/IP Nursing Wound Care; Per Diem

Position: Wound and Ostomy Nurse (RN) / IP Nursing Wound Care (Per Diem)
Must be WOC certified.

Work where every moment matters.

Every day, over more than $40,000 Hartford Health Care colleagues come to work with one thing in common:
Pride in what we do, knowing every moment matters here. We invite you to become part of Connecticut's most comprehensive healthcare network.

St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport has more than 3,200 employees. It includes a 473-bed community teaching hospital, a 76-bed inpatient psychiatric facility in Westport, a large multispecialty provider group, and special needs services for adults and children. St. Vincent's is the first hospital in Fairfield County to be integrated into the Hartford Health Care network and is the system's second-largest hospital.

This position is an essential member of the nursing clinical team.

The RN certified in wound, ostomy and continence provides expert clinical care, consultation/care coordination, education, quality improvement, leadership and research to the organization in relation to patients/ families and colleagues with wound, skin, ostomy and continence needs. This position is responsible for the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation and care of wounds (acute and chronic), fistulae, pressure ulcers, skin breakdown, ostomy care and incontinence.

Specifically, the WOCN RN Acute Performs the following:

* Coordinates care for the populations of patients, identifies trends, develops evidence-based protocols/treatments and refines protocols based on emerging evidence, products, therapies and outcomes.

* Develops and implements and refines educational programs for patients, families, colleagues and community partners.

* Provides formal and informal consultation and serves as a resource to patients, healthcare team and leadership. Promotes the profession of nursing and professional practice.

* Represents the organization in a positive and professional manner.

* Advocates for the rights, ethical standards, and safety of patients and healthcare team.

* Is visible, accessible and committed to communicating effectively with staff.

Responsibilities

Direct Patient Care

* Provides expert consultation and/or hands-on care for individual patients with acute or chronic wounds, ostomy or continence issues.

* Incorporates specialized evidence-based knowledge and skills to provide excellence in assessment, therapeutic interventions, prevention and health maintenance for patients with select disorders of the integumentary, gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems.

* Differentiates characteristics of wound, ostomy, continence clinical presentations and attributes accurate etiology in development of treatment plans.

* Serves as a consultant to provide potential solutions for complex clinical cases to improve patient care and outcomes.

* Establishes and coordinates multidisciplinary and comprehensive management plans.

* Conducts ongoing re-evaluation and modifies the strategies and interventions as needed.

* Notifies supervising clinician and Team when the wound deteriorates or fails to progress.

* Collaborates with healthcare team to provide interdisciplinary referrals to complement the treatment plan.

Care Coordination

* Coordinates care for populations of patients with wounds, ostomy and continence conditions.

* Collaborates with Healthcare Teams and leadership to develop best practice cross-setting care coordination using standardized prevention and treatment protocols:
Coordination of care involves consideration of care trajectory across multiple settings (pre-op, acute and post-acute).

Education

* Develops and implements educational programs and protocols for patients, staff and other health care providers that address the prevention and management of wound ostomy and continence health conditions.

* Arranges learning opportunities for RN Skin Champion.

* Provides orientation for nurses and other health care team members.

Quality Improvement / Safety

* Collects and interprets wound, ostomy and continence-related data for continuous quality improvement, safety initiatives, surveillance and regulatory compliance.

* Leads or provides guidance in the leadership of initiatives to reduce harm and improve outcomes for patients…