Treatment Nurse

Overview

The treatment nurse oversees and provides care for residents with wounds, ostomies, or continence disorders. Nurses in wound care management work with residents who have gastrointestinal stomas for feeding tubes or colostomy bags, skin ulcers, drains, surgical incisions, or pressure sores.

Qualifications

• Must have a current state license to practice Nursing in the State of California. A registered nurse (RN) preferred.
• Two years experience in skin and wound management.
• Excellent knowledge of Infection Control processes.
• Basic computer skills and experience with Electronic Medical Records Preferred.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to define and solve problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical journals and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

We expect our employees to promote an atmosphere of teamwork. To perform this job successfully, an individual must also be able to perform each key function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the key functions.

Care and services:

1. Coordinates, implements and monitors the wound, ostomy, skin and continence programs within the facility to assure regulatory and quality outcomes are achieved and risk factors for wound development are addressed.
2. Provides wound care for residents with stage 2 and higher wounds vascular, stasis, diabetic, fistulas and surgical wounds using proper infection control techniques.
3. Assures skin management formulary is followed and works with the Director of Clinical Services if formulary adjustments are recommended.
4. Conducts weekly wound rounds with Wound Physician.
5. Maintains an up to date wound log and records wound measurements on the wound log.
6. Recommends alternative treatments if wound healing has stagnated.
7. Works closely with facility dietitian to monitor nutritional status of residents.
8. Monitors the need for and assure positioning and supportive devices needed by residents are in place. Notifies the Administrator of equipment needed that is not available within the facility.
9. Develops and updates plans of care to prevent wound development and promote healing.
10. Monitors stomas to assure skin is protected and proper appliances are applied.
11. Coordinates and monitors staff completion of quarterly skin assessments and that care plans are updated according to findings.
12. Monitors staff adherence to skin care and assessment protocols and audits records to assure documentation is completed.
13. Addresses new skin conditions promptly to prevent worsening
14. Monitors resident pain needs as part of the assessment process and evaluates residents before, during and after dressing procedures to address pain needs and minimize resident discomfort during procedures.
15. Notifies the physician timely if pain interventions need to be adjusted.
16. Conducts bedside observations of staff performing skin/wound care to assure proper technique is used.
17. Tracks the use of Wound Vacs and assures the system for ordering and returning is followed.
18. Complies with departmental policies and procedures and works closely with surveyors during annual surveys.
19. Educates nursing staff on wound, stoma and skin care management at least annually.
20. Participates in the QAPI process and completes root cause analysis for each wound that develops. Through analysis of skin issues, makes recommendations to the Director of Nursing on preventative measures needed to minimize risk of interruptions in skin integrity.
21. Conducts rounds several times a week to assure positioning devices are in place and resident positioning aligns with the plan of care.
22. Communicates with the physician, resident and resident representative timely related to new skin conditions, progress of healing, and updates in interventions.
23. Timely documents assessments, interventions, progress and changes in the resident record.
24. Monitors treatment records to assure nursing staff is completing wound care assignments and documenting treatments provided.
25. Monitors the use of incontinence products and makes recommendations about the type of product best for the resident including the use of incontinence pads, extended use briefs, and continence monitoring devices.
26. Consults with, utilizes and initiates referrals to appropriate community agencies and healthcare resources to provide continuity of care.
27. Uses nursing equipment and supplies according to manufacturer’s guidelines.
28. Accepts only those nursing assignments that are commensurate with one’s own education preparation, experience, knowledge and ability; obtains instruction and supervision as necessary when implementing nursing procedures or practices.
29. Follows the policies and procedures of the facility.
30. Performs other duties or functions as directed by the Administrator or Director of Nursing.

Resident Rights: Promotes and protects resident’s rights; supports the resident in the exercise of his or her rights. assists residents to make informed decisions; treats residents with dignity and respect; protects resident’s personal belongings; reports suspected abuse neglect, exploitation or misappropriation of property; avoids the need for physical restraints in accordance with current professional standards; supports independent expression, choice and decision-making consistent with applicable law and regulation.

Leadership: Demonstrates willingness to try new tasks; generates new ideas for change; evaluates and recognizes priorities; challenges others to learn; keeps current and integrates new information; communicates and models organization values; fosters high performance.

Process Improvement: Applies process improvement methods and techniques and identifies processes for improvement in daily work.

Environment of Care and Safety: Assures resident environment is safe and takes necessary steps to intervene if an unsafe situation is identified; demonstrates understanding of fire and emergency procedures; participates in fire and disaster drills; demonstrates understanding of safety and security procedures; applies safety and security precautions; demonstrates understanding of hazardous materials plan; demonstrates proper use of equipment.

Infection Control: Applies hand washing principles during daily work; demonstrates understanding of isolation precautions; recognizes signs and symptoms of infection and complies with the employee health program; demonstrates understanding of the process for identifying and handling infectious waste; maintains personal hygiene; complies with OSHA standards in the work place; and demonstrates understanding of cross contamination.

Information Management: Enters or records data timely and accurately; protects confidentiality of resident information (in accordance with HIPAA policies); protects data against loss or destruction; reports suspected violation of security/confidentiality issues; logs onto the system using own password; logs off the system when leaving the work station; reviews data and identifies trends; deletes passwords of employees no longer needing access to software programs.

Continuing Education: Attends inservice training programs; attends continuing education required for maintenance of certification.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, use hands or fingers, reach with hands and arms, talk or hear. The employee must be able to assist to lift and/or transfer residents weighing between 100 to 250 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and peripheral vision.