Wound/Ostomy Nurse, Jewish Hospital

We are Hiring at Jewish Hospital

Location: 200 Abraham Flexner Way Louisville, KY 40202

Shift Options: Full Time, First Shift

About Us

UofL Health is a fully integrated regional academic health system with seven hospitals, four medical centers, nearly 200 physician practice locations, more than 700 providers, the Frazier Rehabilitation Institute and the Brown Cancer Center.

With more than 12,000 team members—physicians, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists and other highly skilled health care professionals—UofL Health is focused on one mission: delivering patient-centered care to each and every patient each and every day.

Our Mission

As an academic health care system, we will transform the health of the communities we serve through compassionate, innovative, patient-centered care.

The Wound Ostomy Care Nurse (WOCN) improves the quality of patient care and nursing practice with resultant improved patient outcomes.

• Serves as a clinical expert and proficient educator, consultant, researcher, change agent, leader and interdisciplinary collaborator in wound/ostomy/incontinence care and patient education, health promotion, restoration, and maintenance, and disease prevention through the University Hospital System.
• Identifies, develops and delivers educational programs for both individuals and groups in both clinical and classroom settings.
• Fosters empowerment of Nursing staff by providing clinical instruction and support to assure clinical competency of staff and safe effective delivery of patient care, incorporating evidence based practice, nursing research, and appropriate skill set standards and recommended practices in wound/ostomy/incontinence care.
• Actively participates in both quality improvement and nursing research processes.
• Supports the core behaviors, standards, values, and missions of the organization, accrediting bodies, and profession of Nursing as a professional role model.
• Serves as a resource to the community by promoting community outreach, healthcare awareness, and educational opportunities as appropriate.

1.  Clinical Expert

• Serves as a role model to Nursing Staff in the delivery of excellent patient care for wound/ostomy/incontinence patients and their families.
• Collaborates with Nursing and interdisciplinary colleagues to assess, plan, implement and evaluate strategies to address complex patient care situations and solutions to complex patient care processes utilizing bio-psychosocial assessment and medical history of the patient.
• Assists and provides direction to staff with clinical decision making and priority setting in the area of wound/ostomy/incontinence patient care including interpretation of diagnostic test results.
• Collaborates with Nursing Leadership to develop, evaluate and implement standards of patient care/care planning and professional practice with attention to cost effectiveness, comfort, safety, age specific implications, and cultural competence.
• Serves as a patient/family advocate, incorporating respect for and acknowledgement of cultural diversity and individual patient needs.
• Maintains current evidence-based knowledge in wound/ostomy/incontinence clinical practice and patient care.
• Promotes an environment consistent with core concepts of Patient and Family Centered Care.
• Develops and implements tools to ensure effectiveness of wound care on an ongoing basis, to include chart review and monitoring of OBQI and OBQM data.

2. Educator

• Facilitates the ongoing education and professional development of the nursing staff and nursing students, as well as all clinical care providers, in the are of wound/ostomy/incontinence education.
• Plans, prepares and maintains materials for use in competency based educational programs relevant to skill set populations utilizing appropriate standards and recommended practices as well as validated evidence based research.
• Plans and coordinates in-services, orientation and educational programs for clinical staff to meet competency assessment requirements in accordance with departmental objectives and appropriate accreditation standards relevant to wound/ostomy/incontinence education.
• Collaborates in the development or modification of patient education materials.
• Communicates effectively in visual, oral and written form and demonstrates effective presentation skills.

3. Consultant/Interdisciplinary Collaborator/Facilitator

• Serves as an educational consultant and/or facilitator for wound/ostomy/incontinence to outside institutions as well as hospital committees, task forces, and projects.
• Maintains involvement in professional, community and clinical specialty activities.
• Serves as a consultant to clinical staff, physicians, administration, Nursing school programs and the public for wound/ostomy/incontinence education and the clinical nursing care of hospitalized wound/ostomy/incontinence patients.
• Is customer focused.
• Collaborates and supports nursing student clinical rotations.
• Collaborates with physicians and nursing staff to develop multidisciplinary plans of care for the wound/ostomy/incontinence patient inclusive of measurable patient outcomes. Monitors patient responses to treatment and works with physicians and nursing staff to make changes to the plan of care as needed.
• Facilitates appropriate referrals for wound/ostomy/incontinence patients to other healthcare professionals and resources including providing assistance with patient discharge planning needs.
• Works with vendors to maintain cost-effective wound and ostomy formulary.

4. Researcher

• Expands the scientific base of nursing practice by initiating and/or participating in continuous quality improvement activities and/or research studies.
• Critically analyzes current nursing research methods and outcomes for inclusion in the curriculum content of education to support patient care initiatives.
• Incorporates current research findings into clinical and educational activities.
• Supports and demonstrates validated evidence based practice.
• Disseminates research findings through clinical presentations and publications.
• Challenges existing practice when not in line with current best practice research.

5. Development of self and others

• Maintains affiliation with appropriate professional nursing organizations.
• Obtains and maintains certifications in clinical and educational specialty.
• Promotes concept of lifelong learning.
• Represents the hospital in the community when needed, promoting research efforts, evidence-based clinical practice advancements, and development of educational activities.

6. Change Agent

• Identifies and supports needed opportunities for change.
• Develops programs that assist attendees to embrace change as a desired process to support best practice.
• Maintains flexibility

7. Leader

• Strives for congruence between educational activities and organizations mission and goals.
• Demonstrates support for professional organizations and excellence in professional practice.
• Serves as a professional role model.
• Integrates ethical principles in all areas of clinical practice.

8. Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Licensed or eligible for license in Kentucky
• Basic Life Support (BLS) accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA)
• Minimum of 3 years as a Registered nurse in clinical practice

• WOCN certification upon hire or within 1 year of hire. The organization pays for WOCN certification with no out of pocket expenses to the employee.  A two-year work commitment is required upon acceptance of the position due to the investment the organization is providing to the employee (only if hired without WOCN certification). 

• Demonstrated proficiency in written and verbal communication skills, didactic instruction, adult learning theories, competency assessment, promoting and supporting change and formulation and evaluation of learning goals and objectives desired.
• Proficiency in the use of evidenced-based practice and computer literacy mandatory
• Bachelor's degree from accredited college or university

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university
• Previous education and teaching experience preferred.

Benefits & Perks

• Competitive Pay & Benefits Options
• Paid Vacation, Sick days, and Holidays
• Free tuition to UofL for Part- and Full-time employees for Child/Spouse/Domestic Partner
• 401K with Employer Match

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