Wound Care Specialist

UPMC; Franklin (Venango County); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

UPMC seeks a compassionate Registered Nurse in Pennsylvania to join the wound, ostomy, continence and skin care (WOCN) team. The role emphasizes critical thinking, patient-centered assessment, and collaboration to address complex clinical needs.

You will implement the nursing process within Relationship Based Care, develop individualized care plans, and document thoroughly to ensure continuity of care with patients, families, and colleagues.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years of nursing experience required.
• BLS/CPR certification required.
• WOCN certification preferred.
• Active licensure as an RN in Pennsylvania or eligibility for PA licensure.
• Meet AHA standards with both didactic and skills demonstrations within 30 days of hire.

Responsibilities

• 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 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 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.

Skills

Critical thinking

Nursing judgment

Team collaboration

Communication

Relationship Based Care

Time management

Professional relationships

Patient advocacy

Clinical documentation

Job description

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