Wound Care RN

About the position

The Wound Care RN at Kearney Regional Medical Center is responsible for the treatment and management of disorders affecting the gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and integumentary systems. This role involves a multidisciplinary approach to care, focusing on the treatment of ostomies, stomas, acute and chronic wounds, and urinary and fecal incontinence. The position requires collaboration with healthcare team members to develop comprehensive care plans, addressing both the physical and emotional challenges faced by patients.

Responsibilities

• Perform conservative debridement, clean, and bandage wounds according to scope of practice.
• Work with care team to determine if antibiotics, surgery, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or other treatments are needed.
• Care for ostomies, diabetic foot care, and more.
• Educate patients and caretakers on wound care, infection and injury prevention, and pressure ulcer care and prevention for those who are bedridden or have limited mobility.
• Complete proper documentation for Medicare reimbursement and recommend orders to promote wound healing and the prevention of skin breakdown.
• Comply with OSHA standards and universal precautions.
• Provide care to inpatients at KRMC as determined by Wound Ostomy Nurse Lead.
• Treat and manage a variety of skin lesions and ulcerations, including pressure ulcers, traumatic and draining wounds, surgical incisions, and dehisced surgical wounds, both inpatient and outpatient.
• Treat skin reactions and prevent skin breakdown.
• Manage and treat vascular ulcers, pressure ulcers, and diabetic ulcers.
• Initiate preventative measures and provide comprehensive wound management, including reducing causative factors, controlling odor, assessing nutritional needs, and providing and applying topical therapies.
• Educate the patient, the patient's family, and any other support persons on care techniques.
• Assess and treat draining wounds and fistulae.
• Design pouch systems for draining wounds and fistulae.
• Implement preventative actions to reduce the incidences of pressure ulcers and vascular ulcers.
• Provide instruction on proper wound dressing and educate on ulcer prevention and treatment.
• Manage and place wound vacs.
• Provide inpatient and outpatient care, as well as pre- and post-operative education, support, and counseling for individuals undergoing surgery for colostomies, ileostomies, or urostomies.
• Provide self-care, diet, and lifestyle education and support.
• Prevent peristomal/stomal complications and provide rehabilitative care.
• Assess stoma site selection and marking to decrease long-term complications and encourage pouching system adherence.
• Review and modify pouch system problems and address and prevent peristomal skin complications.
• Assess and manage fistula and provide a wide range of services that address causative factors, restorative strategies, and lifestyle/quality of life issues.
• Select and recommend collection devices or undergarments and provide instruction on pelvic muscle exercises.
• Counsel the patient, the patient's family, and other support persons on hygiene and skin care.
• Provide instruction on self-catheterization and identify contributing factors, suggesting dietary and environmental modifications.

Requirements

• Must be a graduate of an accredited school of nursing with a current Nebraska license.
• Wound treatment associates - certificate required, to be completed after 160 hours of preceptorship and enrollment in classes within 6 months of hire.
• Requires knowledge of technical nursing procedures.
• Current BLS and ACLS certification.