Inpatient Wound Care Nurse

Phelps Health is a 2000-employee-strong hospital and healthcare system serving the heart of small-town Missouri.

No matter where you start with us, we’re committed to taking our team to the top. If you’re ready for the challenge of providing life-saving care or supporting those who do, read on to find your fit in the Phelps Health family.

General Summary

• The Inpatient Wound Care Nurse provides direct care to patients using the nursing process and specialized skills in patient education and demonstrating clinical competence to patients with altered skin integrity, staff members, other providers, and the community; and adhering to the ANA Code of Ethics.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serves as the inpatient clinical expert and consultant for wound, ostomy, and continence care.
• Assesses patients with wounds and follows the ordering provider and interdisciplinary health care teams protocols. Evaluates response and communicates with the ordering provider on patient progress.
• Coordinates patient care by effectively following the plan of care and collaborating with the Medical Director and other members of the healthcare team; provides resources for supplies and services.
• Documents accurately and appropriately patient care activities at point of care including assessment, interventions, care plans, and physician communication into the patient’s medical record, using the EMR accurately, according to documentation guidelines. Evaluates the progress towards the patient’s goal and follows the ordering providers updated plan of care.
• Serves as a resource to patients with wound and ostomy including provisions of individual solutions to wound drainage containment, supplies, and education of patient/family/self.
• Follows the ordering providers plan of care thus demonstrating knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and the skills necessary to provide age appropriate care to the patient population served. Able to interpret data about the patient’s status in order to identify each patients age specific needs and provides care under the direction of the ordering provider needed to the patient group.
• Works with the ordering provider to serve as a resource to patients before and/or after undergoing ostomy surgery, providing pre- and/or post- op ostomy care instructions; communicates with the ordering provider, healthcare team, referring providers, and specialty providers to ensure collaborative care.
• Leads pressure injury prevention initiatives and supports the reduction of hospital-acquired conditions.
• Participates and leads wound quality improvement projects, data collections, prevalence studies, and outcome tracking.
• Provides education, training, and competency validation for nursing staff and interdisciplinary team members.
• Supports development, review, and implementation of evidence-based policies and protocols aligned with WOCN and NPIAP guidelines.
• Attends seminars, conferences, and continuing education classes in the areas of wound prevention, wound management, and ostomies. Participates in professional societies. Stays current with changes and new advances/treatments in wound care.
• Meets commitments, works independently, accepts accountability, handles change, sets personal standards, stays focused under pressure, and meets attendance/punctuality requirements.

Education

• Graduate from an accredited school of nursing is required.
• Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing preferred.

​Certification/Licensure

• Current RN license in the State of Missouri or compact licensure required.
• American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) required.
• Wound certification highly preferred

Mental/Physical Requirements

• Considerable mental concentration required. Requires frequent lifting up to 35 lbs. and turning activities, constant walking, standing, carting, pushing, pulling, stooping, crouching, twisting and reaching required.

Working Conditions

• Minimal physical discomfort. Moderate level of auditory distractions. Frequent exposure to communicable disease via blood and body fluids. Frequent exposure to infectious diseases, radiation, anti-neoplastic agents, and hostile persons at times. Works with sharps and other potentially bio hazardous materials. Ability to function under stress.

At Phelps Health, we think we have a better team, benefits, and opportunities for growth than anyone else around, and we invite you to see for yourself! Apply now to join us on our mission in health care.