Wound, Ostomy, & Continence Nurse (WOCN)

$98,500 - $147,500/Yr

MD Anderson Cancer Center - Houston, TX

Full-time - Mid Level

Houston, TX

Ambulatory Health Care Services

About the position

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is recognized as one of the leading institutions in cancer patient care, research, education, and prevention. It has been ranked as the nation's No. 1 hospital for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report for the 2022-2023 period. As one of the original three comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute, MD Anderson is committed to providing exceptional care to its patients. The Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse (WOCN) plays a critical role in this mission by managing the outcomes for patients with complex wound, ostomy, and continence needs across the continuum of care. This position requires a strong foundation in nursing, with a focus on advanced wound care products and therapies, as well as the ability to provide consulting services for stoma site selection and ostomy education both pre- and post-operatively. The WOCN will be responsible for coordinating and supporting clinical aspects of direct patient care, acting as a specialty consultant to a variety of healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, and physical therapists. Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams is essential to assess patient needs for nursing care, education, and other services. The WOCN will also coach and assist team members to ensure optimal patient care and efficient resource utilization. This role integrates knowledge of age-specific care, oncology principles, and current professional practice standards to deliver high-quality care. Additionally, the WOCN will participate in research activities, data collection, and analysis to continuously improve patient care outcomes. The position also involves educational responsibilities, where the WOCN will demonstrate competency as both a classroom and clinical educator for staff and patients, contributing to the ongoing development of nursing practice within the institution.

Responsibilities

• Manage outcomes for wound, ostomy, and continence patients across the continuum of care by providing, coordinating, and supporting clinical aspects of direct patient care.
• Act as a specialty consultant to physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and patients for the provision of WOC care.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to assess patient needs for nursing care, patient/family education, and other services.
• Coach and assist team members to ensure optimum WOC patient care and efficient use of resources.
• Integrate knowledge of age-specific care, principles of oncology practice, institutional goals and standards, and current professional practice standards in providing care.
• Integrate results and theories of research studies to improve care and actively participate in data collection and analysis.
• Assure continuity of care through appropriate discharge planning, coordination of services, and education.
• Demonstrate competency as a classroom and clinical educator to staff, patients/caregivers, and participants of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurse Educational Program.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Nursing.
• Graduation from an accredited Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Education Program.
• Two years of registered nursing experience.
• Current State of Texas Professional Nursing license (RN).
• Basic Life Support (BLS) or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification.

Nice-to-haves

• Master's Degree in Nursing (MSN).
• One year of wound, ostomy, and continence nursing experience.
• American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS), ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support), or PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) certification as required by patient care area.

Benefits

• Relocation assistance
• Referral program