Inpatient/hospital wound nurses

Published

Specializes in Telemetry, Hospice, Wound Care.

I just accepted a position at a community hospital (120 beds) as an inpatient wound RN. Can anyone who is had the position or who is in the position currently tell me how your average day looks? This hospital has not had a FT Wound Nurse in the past. Any suggestions on what I should tackle first? How much education do you do with the staff nurses? I was wondering if this was a big part of the job or that you don't want to educate too much or you'll be out of a job!

Thanks!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Do you have protocols already in place for treatment that have been approved by the medical staff?

I worked in a large facility with several WOCNs. They routinely had inservices to review the protocols for using products so that the floor nurses could start treatment prior to the WOCN seeing the pt. This was especially helpful at night, on weekends, and for docs that didn't know what to do with wounds.

The WOCNs made rounds daily to check progress, see if she timed the dressing right with the floor nurse. Also to ensure that the facility would be getting paid for the treatments and that the treatments were appropriate to the type of wound.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry, Hospice, Wound Care.
Do you have protocols already in place for treatment that have been approved by the medical staff?

I worked in a large facility with several WOCNs. They routinely had inservices to review the protocols for using products so that the floor nurses could start treatment prior to the WOCN seeing the pt. This was especially helpful at night, on weekends, and for docs that didn't know what to do with wounds.

The WOCNs made rounds daily to check progress, see if she timed the dressing right with the floor nurse. Also to ensure that the facility would be getting paid for the treatments and that the treatments were appropriate to the type of wound.

Not sure if they have protocols set up. They haven't had a wound RN for almost a year so I bet they need updating. I do know they use Medline products in house. Does this mean we can't order anything that is not a Medline product? I would assume this is yes. If I want a different product, I would have to put up a "fight" with purchasing/materials.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Most likely. Medline is used by a lot of nursing homes because they are less expensive than other companies. Although the last time I talked with one of their reps, they had a few good products but the NH I worked for was too stingy to even get the good products that they had.

Get the rundown of all the Medline products and compare them with what is considered acceptable treatment. If you can show a need and get someone higher than you behind you, it will be easier to get materials to order your products.

You might also contact reps for various companies and ask for their products/price lists. Once they know you are the new wound nurse, they may be able to cut deals and help you convince the hospital to get what is needed, not what is cheapest.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry, Hospice, Wound Care.
Most likely. Medline is used by a lot of nursing homes because they are less expensive than other companies. Although the last time I talked with one of their reps, they had a few good products but the NH I worked for was too stingy to even get the good products that they had.

Get the rundown of all the Medline products and compare them with what is considered acceptable treatment. If you can show a need and get someone higher than you behind you, it will be easier to get materials to order your products.

You might also contact reps for various companies and ask for their products/price lists. Once they know you are the new wound nurse, they may be able to cut deals and help you convince the hospital to get what is needed, not what is cheapest.

My supervisor is the CNO so I will have her on my side! I am attending a seminar with Medline in a few weeks so I will be able to assess their product line and meet the rep. In your experience, what products seem to be good and reasonably priced? Smith & Nephew? I am familiar with their products and they have some good ones. What other companies have good product lines...Covatec, 3M?

:nurse:Thanks!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Used a lot of Smith & Nephew and don't have a problem with any of the stuff from them.

Ethicon/Johnson & Johnson has great stuff. I love Promogran and Prisma. It does great stuff for otherwise healthy people to get healed quickly. Also works with co-morbidities to help with noncompliant patients as well as stalled wounds. Had a few times that it started to work and then stalled but found out that a lot had to do with noncompliant patients! Have seen faster results with promogran put in underneath wound vac foam.

Mepitel by Molnlycke is a great anti-stick dressing to put over things like promogran. Also does great if you need to let drainage out of a wound but the gauze is sticking to it. Works better than telfa type dressings for non-sticking to wound.

Have not seen Carrington products used much anymore. I do use some of their products for veterinary wound care when cost is an issue and their products do ok, just not as quick to heal compared to a collagen based sheet product.

Like to use the thick hydrogel pads as prophylaxis for heels. Can't remember which gel pad that comes with the soft, almost silky cloth backing but that pad put on heels and even coccyx with soft cloth tape does well as long as the staff avoids shearing when pulling up in bed and remembers a pillow to float heels.

Haven't done a lot with 3M products - you know how those contracts work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion