Wound Care Specialist

Job Title

Responsibilities:

Clinical Practice & Patient Care

Demonstrates critical thinking in identifying clinical, social, safety, psychological, and spiritual patient needs.

Provides ongoing follow-up for ostomy and skin care patients after discharge to ensure continuity of care.

Incorporates NPUAP and WOCN standards, as well as organizational goals, to improve quality, safety, and patient satisfaction.

Creates a compassionate, patient-focused experience through healing relationships with patients, families, and colleagues.

Applies the nursing process within the framework of Relationship Based Care to create a healing environment.

Develops individualized plans of care and communicates them effectively with patients, families, physicians, nursing staff, and other healthcare team members.

Maintains accurate documentation that promotes communication and coordination of care.

Education & Professional Development

Demonstrates a passion for developing self and others.

Precepts students, graduate nurses, new hires, medical students, residents, and staff.

Supports continuous learning through research sharing, professional organization resources, journal clubs, presentations, in-services, and formal lectures.

Identifies opportunities for clinical quality improvement and workplace enhancement.

Applies evidence-based practice principles in daily work.

Participates in product evaluations to ensure cost-effective, high-quality patient care.

Regularly seeks feedback and engages in continuous professional improvement.

Leadership & Professional Practice

Serves as a recognized clinical expert, educator, specialized resource nurse, and leader in wound, ostomy, continence, and skin care.

Provides constructive feedback and participates in peer review processes.

Promotes changes that enhance patient care quality across the WOCN department and nursing organization.

Demonstrates advanced clinical assessment and analytical skills.

Participates in shared governance and serves as a resource to hospital-wide councils.

Leads and contributes to successful teams and department initiatives.

Collaboration & Workplace Relationships

Builds and maintains positive relationships with colleagues.

Models cultural awareness and addresses workplace issues such as horizontal violence and impairment.

Maintains a healthy work-life balance through prioritization and delegation.

Fosters a respectful, collaborative, and supportive work environment

Minimum of 2 years of nursing experience required.

Licensure & Certifications

Current Pennsylvania licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN) or eligibility for Pennsylvania State Board Licensure.

Current RN licensure in the practicing state or eligibility for State Board Licensure.

Wound and Ostomy Certification preferred.

Basic Life Support (BLS) or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification required.

Must meet AHA standards and include both didactic and skills demonstration components within 30 days of hire.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Demonstrated clinical judgment, critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Ability to establish and maintain positive, professional relationships with:

Executives

Managers

Physicians

Advanced Practice Providers

Other healthcare professionals

Ability to work effectively in a complex environment while managing multiple and changing priorities.

Additional Requirements

Current licensure in the state where the facility is located, or a multistate license issued through the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), when applicable.

Employees working under an out-of-state NLC license who establish residency in the facility's state must apply for in-state licensure within 60 days of residency change.

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran