1. Conducts comprehensive assessment and continuous assessment of deep wounds, skin tears, ostomies, severe burns, pressure injuries or bedsores, continence and diabetic foot wounds to determine potential wound complications, immediate treatment needs, and long-term treatment plans; works with other members of the health care team to determine if additional treatments or changes in care are required.
2. Collaborates with clinical providers and health care team to establish individualized, comprehensive plans of care for patients with complex wounds, ostomies, and/or continence conditions based on the patient risks, diagnosis and individual patient needs. Creates a plan of care for the interdisciplinary health care team, including the staff nurses, to follow.
3. Completes a thorough wound care evaluation and documents assessments and treatment recommendation.
4. Provides staff, patient and family education and counseling regarding wound care, risk factors associated with pressure injury, infection prevention, treatment measures and other related issues; provides teaching, guidance and direction to allied nursing personnel in rendering patient care. Refers other acute/chronic skin alterations to appropriate specialty services (i.e., Surgery, Vascular, Podiatry, Dermatology, Plastic).
5. Develops and implements wound and skin care prevention, and treatment programs, and provides corresponding education to patients, family members/caregivers, and health care setting and allied personnel; evaluates and monitors effectiveness of programs to ensure successful functioning and efficiency.
6. Participates in product evaluation for ostomy and skin care needs for the health care setting to ensure cost-effective quality patient care.
7. Participates in the development, evaluation and revision of health care setting policies, procedures, and guidelines related to wound care, based on patient needs, evidenced-based trends, and industry standards.
8. Collaborates with appropriate staff to establish protocols, which support best practices to achieve optimal clinical outcomes. Serves as a clinical expert to provide staff nurses with wound treatment protocols and assists in the education of staff nurses on how to stage wounds.
9. Observes, records, and interprets patient response and wound status, reporting any changes to appropriate members of the health care team; records and maintains nursing care plans and progress notes on patients.
10. Participates in departmental and interdisciplinary conferences, nursing quality committee, and/or quality improvement initiatives relating to wound, ostomy and continence issues.
11. Manages the collection and analysis of all data related to Hospital Acquired Pressure Injuries. Utilizes quality measures of pressure injuries and standards to mitigate risk and drive improvement efforts in the performance of nursing care.
12. If assigned to Community Care, maintains ongoing follow-up evaluation for patients after discharge from the health care setting to provide continuity of care.
13. Performs other professional nursing activities as delegated by nursing service administration.