How much more do wound care nurses earn?

[sea~level]

hello,

i am an lpn just recently graduated and i am currently working at a nursing home. i was just wondering if anyone knows how much morei would earn if i became woundcare certified. thanks

[sunnycalifRN]

I don't work in long-term care but in ICU, our wound care specialists don't earn any more than other staff nurses. I am sure that it is facility-dependent, however. Maybe other facilities will give a step increase to RN's with wound care expertise.

[Reminisce]

I am not a nurse, I am just trying to educate myself but don't all rn's treat wounds? and rashes? and things like that?

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

I am not a nurse, I am just trying to educate myself but don't all rn's treat wounds? and rashes? and things like that?

It depends on the type of wound and the facility. Where I work (in a hospital, not long term care), nurses can treat wounds like minor bed sores and skin tears using their judgment. More serious bed sores, the ones that go through different layers of tissue, get assessed and treated by a wound care specialist. The bedside nurses then do these dressing changes using the wound care specialists recommendations. A surgical wound is treated per MD order such as leaving open to air or applying bacitracin and sterile dressing. I wouldn't put anything on a rash without an MD's order.

[pednursedeb]

As far as being wound care certififed, I think you have to be a BSN. I looked into it, I'm a ADN. I started as an LVN. If I had it to do over again I would go from LVN to BSN. I'm 57, don't think I will do that now.