Wound Care Therapist

Position Summary                                                                                                                                       

• The Wound Care Therapist practices wound care within the scope of practice of physical therapy or nursing, which is defined as the evaluation, treatment and/or prevention of disability, injury, disease, or other conditions of health, using physical, chemical and/or mechanical means, including but not limited to heat, cold, light, air, water, sound, electricity, massage, mobilization, and therapeutic exercise, with and without assistive devices; the performance and interpretation of tests and measurements to assess pathophysiological, pathomechanical, and developmental deficits of human systems to determine treatment and assist in diagnosis and prognosis.

 Essential Functions and Responsibilities Includes the Following:                                                       

1. Understands and adheres to the Performance Standards, Policies and Behaviors
2. Performs wound care for both in- and outpatients within the applicable physical therapy or nursing scope of practice, whichever is applicable.
3. For Physical Therapists (PT): Perform wound care either under a physician plan of care or a physical therapy plan of care (as applicable), which requires an order and includes an evaluation, with or without physical therapy evaluations, and treatment procedures upon physician’s referral for inpatients on the hospital units and in the Wound Care Center, as well as for outpatients in the Wound Care Center.
4. For Registered Nurses (RN): Diagnose and treat human responses to actual or potential health problems through such services as case finding, health teaching, health counseling and providing care supportive to or restorative of life and well-being. RNs also execute medical regimens prescribed by a licensed physician, dentist, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, specialist assistant, midwife or podiatrist in accordance with New York State Education Department regulations. A nursing regimen must be consistent with any existing medical regimen. RNs practice under the supervision of a physician, nurse practitioner, or podiatrist. RNs will: assess patients, identify unmet patient needs and plan comprehensive care to meet those needs in relation to the patient’s illness, condition or disability; Identify unidentified co-morbidities or emergent complications and intervenes solely and also with health care team members to initiate additional exploration and treatment; coordinate care with other health care providers such as respiratory therapists, social workers, physicians, nurse practitioners, dieticians and discharge planners; and provides patient care (i.e., administer medication, and perform nursing interventions).
5. Works collaboratively with Wound Care Center staff, including physicians, nurse practitioners, hospital nurses, Ostomy/Wound nurses, home care nurses, and technicians to promote interdisciplinary care.
6. Supports physician and nurse practitioner staff with wound care procedures both in the Wound Care Center and at the bedside in inpatient units, including surgical debridement, incision and drainage, aspirations, etc. Removes dressings and cleanses wounds.

7. Applies topical medications to wounds with a physician or nurse practitioner order.
8. Performs debridement of devitalized tissue from wounds, without anesthesia, including sharp selective debridement with high-pressure waterjet, scissors, scalpel and forceps with referral from a physician or nurse practitioner.
9. Applies wound dressings and bandaging, including compressive wrapping, negative pressure wound therapy, etc.
10. Adheres to hospital infection control policies.
11. Carries out regular assessment/re-evaluations, develops plans of treatment, modifies treatment plans/programs as necessary; determines rehabilitation potential and participates in discharge planning for wound care patients.
12. Documents comprehensive wound assessments, including drainage, color, texture, temperature, vascularity, condition of surrounding tissue, and size of the area to be targeted for debridement as needed.
13. Notes possible need for patients to receive other services (surgical or infectious disease consultation, PT, OT, etc.). Discusses needs with other professionals and physicians.
14. Knows and utilizes varied treatment techniques and skills for the problems / disabilities encountered.
15. Keeps up-to-date records of each patient’s treatment and progress, and assigns appropriate billing codes for services rendered.
16. Responsible for scheduling of patients’ sessions and arranges for transfer of duties in the event of absence.

17. Instructs patients in the use and care of PT related equipment and apparatus, such as wheelchair, braces, canes, crutches, walkers, prosthetics and orthotics (as applicable).
18. Directs and supervises the activities of Wound Care Technicians, students, and volunteers.
19. Maintains department equipment; reports defects or problems immediately to supervisor or appropriate department i.e. Biomed, Engineering.
20. Consults with other health related departments (i.e. nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, etc.) to coordinate therapeutic programs and maintains communication with physicians and nurse practitioners regarding the patient’s progress and response to treatment.
21. Demonstrates and teaches Wound Care therapies to students, hospital nursing staff, and other staff as determined by the Director.
22. Participates in periodic assessment of the quality of care provided; makes the suggestion for improvement of quality as needed.
23. Attends department meetings, allied health conferences, special courses, seminars, and applicable in-services. Reports on relevant course material to staff. Shares areas of special interest or expertise with staff.
24. Accepts rotations in assignments to bedside wound care.
25. Instructs families about the needs, management, capabilities, and precautions related to the patient’s wound care.
26. Provides information regarding billing for services and equipment.
27. Determines needs for purchase of equipment for patients and department.
28. Maintains and carriers out procedures for departmental records, charge slips, daily statistics, etc. in a timely manner.
29. Attends hospital mandatory in-service programs.
30. Performs all other related duties as assigned.

 Education & Experience Requirements                                                                                                    

• Education: Graduate of accredited college program in Physical Therapy; B.A./B.S. in Physical Therapy or higher degree or graduate of accredited college program in Nursing.
• Licensure:New York State license or eligibility for Physical Therapy or Registered Nurse license.

• Experience:Successful completion of orientation program according to department guidelines.

• Qualifications:Ability to interact with others in a constructive manner. Ability to promote the availability of quality in-services to staff. Ability to interact with and treat adults and seniors. Open to treating infants, children and adolescents as requested within professional ability level.

 Core Competencies                                                                                                                                    

Clinical proficiency                                            Ability to multi-task

Teamwork                                                         Adaptability

Communication skills                                         Problem-solving skills

Planning and organizing                                     Attention to detail

Problem-solving skills                                        Judgment and decision-making

Stress tolerance                                                Project management

 Physical/Mental Demands/Requirements & Work Environment                                                            

• May be exposed to chemicals necessary to perform required tasks. Any hazardous chemicals the employee may be exposed to are listed in the hospital’s SDS (Safety Data Sheet) data base and may be accessed through the hospital’s Intranet site (Employee Tools/SDS Access). A copy of the SDS data base can also be found at the hospital switchboard, saved on a disc.

 Primary Population Served 

• Neonatal (birth – 28 days)

• Patients with exceptional communication needs

• Infant (29 days – less than 1 year)

• Patients with developmental delays

• Pediatric (1 – 12 years)

• Patients at end of life

• Adolescent (13 – 17 years)

• Patients under isolation precautions

• Adult (18 – 64 years)

• Patients with cultural needs

• Geriatric (> 65 years)

☒All populations

• Bariatric Patients with weight related comorbidities

• Non-patient care population

The responsibilities and tasks outlined in this job description are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the Hospital.

 The salary range and/or hourly rate listed is a good faith determination of potential base compensation that may be offered to a successful applicant for this position at the time of this job advertisement and may be modified in the future. When determining a team member's base salary and/or rate, several factors may be considered as applicable (e.g., location, specialty, service line, years of relevant experience, education, credentials, negotiated contracts, budget and internal equity).