Wound Care RN

The Role

This isn’t a bedside nursing gig where you rotate through assignments. You’re the lead wound care nurse at Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital in Los Angeles, CA. That means you own the wound care program hospital wide. You’re not tucked into one unit; you work across the entire building with every population we serve. You supervise the wound care team, educate hospital staff, and manage patients with wounds, pressure ulcers, ostomies, fistulas, and incontinence. You’ll also coordinate investigations when hospital acquired pressure injuries happen and lead the action plans to stop them from recurring.

This role reports to the Vice President of Patient Care Services/ACNO. It’s a mix of clinical work and system level thinking. You’ll see patients directly for evaluation and education, but you’ll also build protocols, set standards, and make sure everyone follows them. You’re the clinical resource for the whole hospital.

What You’ll Do

• Manage and direct the wound care staff team; assist in the interviewing process.
• Lead the development, facilitation, and coordination of a cost effective wound care and ostomy care program.
• Build evidence based protocols and practice standards for managing patients with wound, ostomy, and incontinence care needs.
• Monitor patient outcomes on an ongoing basis.
• Work with the Clinical Education department to create education programs specific to wound, ostomy, and continence care for staff and inpatient groups.
• Develop evidence based treatment plans following current wound care protocols; explain dressing rationale, institute preventive measures, and track results.
• Communicate with unit managers when someone deviates from standard protocols; notify key stakeholders when reportable hospital acquired pressure injuries happen.
• Advise physicians on the status of patients’ wounds and identify cases that need debridement procedures.
• Collaborate with the dietary team to spot patients with nutritional deficiencies and help solve nutrition problems.
• Perform documentation audits to make sure wound care tasks get done and protocols are followed.
• Standardize documentation for the wound care team.
• Develop a guideline that prioritizes consults and follow up visits.
• Consult on new ostomy patients and ostomy patients with peristomal complications.
• Provide leadership to the Wound Care Committee to complete hospital wide initiatives.
• Make sure prevalence studies are done on time and effectively; monitor how support surfaces are used.
• Maintain data and statistical reports and report out to key committees regularly, as requested.
• Participate in Quality Improvement Plans with help from the Quality Department.
• Act as a resource person to nursing staff and the wound care team as needed.
• Keep your professional knowledge and skills current through continuing education and in service programs; join multi disciplinary patient centered case conferences when appropriate.
• Demonstrate the knowledge to provide care appropriate to the age of patients on your assigned visit.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What You Need

Education

• Bachelor of Science in nursing. If you’re hired without a BSN, you’ll need to complete a degree program within two years of your hire date.

Experience

• At least two years in wound care.

Compensation & Benefits

• Pay range: $72,000 to $95,000 per year.
• Medical insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance.
• Life insurance and AD&D insurance.
• Short term disability and long term disability coverage.
• Paid time off for vacation, sick days, and holidays.
• A 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching.
• Tuition reimbursement available.
• Employee assistance program for personal and work related challenges.
• Free parking on site.

How to Apply

Apply directly through Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital’s career portal. Search for the Wound Care RN role in Los Angeles, CA.