Wound Care

City of Hope Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nurse (WOCN)

Join the transformative team at City of Hope, where we're changing lives and making a real difference in the fight against cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope's growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, and treatment facilities in Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix. Our dedicated and compassionate employees are driven by a common mission: To deliver the cures of tomorrow to the people who need them today.

The Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nurse (WOCN) is entrusted with the comprehensive assessment, planning, intervention, and education related to wound, ostomy, and continence care for patients. This role necessitates exemplary organizational and communication skills, along with a proactive approach to managing patient caseloads, collaborating with healthcare professionals, and formulating specialized care protocols.

Assessment:

• Must be able to work Monday - Friday, 1st/Days.
• Provides consultation to all departments for complex wound, ostomy, and incontinence patients according to Wound Care Nurse standards.
• Collects patient data and completes required forms with appropriate responses according to Wound Care Nurse standards.
• Identifies patient problems/needs and sets priorities with the development of an individualized plan of care.
• Identifies problems requiring further referral and/or follow-up; reviews and records latest diagnostic results; performs nursing assessment using critical thinking skills.
• Assesses and determines the site for ostomy placement prior to surgery as ordered by the physician.
• Assesses patients with Xerosis and rashes as consulted by physician.

Planning Care:

• Develops a plan of care based on the nursing process and incorporates the plans of other disciplines and continuing care needs.
• Includes the patient/family in developing or revising the plan of care; makes referrals to multidisciplinary support services.
• Makes recommendations to the physician for changes to wound care orders and provides evidence-based research support as needed.

Implementing/Managing Care:

• Assists patients in choosing appropriate products, i.e. ostomy, peg, pej supplies.
• Ensures care conforms to accepted practice standards; provides treatments/procedures and other care as prescribed and according to patient care standards.
• Demonstrates understanding of age-related characteristics and needs of patients served; explains nursing procedures; provides discharge teaching.
• Identifies emergency situations and independently initiates advanced therapy; acts as an advocate and coordinator of patient care with other healthcare personnel; evaluates patient care measures instituted.
• Adheres to Wound Care Nurse standards of practice.

Evaluation:

• Records patient care delivered as planned and any variation, with appropriate rationale; makes and records observations related to impending or associated problems; implements nursing measures related to impending or associated problems.
• Develops and implements tools to ensure effectiveness of wound care program on an ongoing basis, including chart review and monitoring of Outcome Based Quality Improvement ("OBQI") and Outcome Based Quality Management ("OBQM") data.

Qualifications:

• Graduate of an accredited program of nursing; Bachelor of Science degree in nursing is required, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) preferred.
• Minimum of two years previous experience in oncology and/or medical-surgical units.
• Active Registered Nurse (RN) license in the applicable state.
• Graduate from an accredited Wound, Ostomy, and Continence program. Wound Care (WC) certification is required; Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse (WOCN) certification is strongly preferred.
• Current CPR certification.
• Oncology Nursing Society's (ONS) Chemotherapy Certified preferred.
• Experience in a multi-disciplinary approach to patient care.
• Experience in infusion therapy-related skills including peripheral and central lines.
• Membership and active involvement in the Oncology Nursing Society.
• Membership and active involvement in the WOCN Society.
• Membership and active involvement in the Advanced Wound Care Association.