The role of a skin care resource nurse as an adjunct to WOCN practice at one rural healthcare facility

Topic:

The role of a skin care resource nurse as an adjunct to WOCN practice at one rural healthcare facility.

Purpose: 

Promote the ongoing development of skin, wound, ostomy and continence care practices by assisting in education of patients, family, and staff in the absence of the WOCN.

Objectives:

-Clinical resource nurse for patients and families on skin, wound, ostomy, and continence care in the absence of the WOCN.

-Clinical resource nurse for nurses on skin, wound, ostomy, and continence care in the absence of the WOCN.

-Clinical resource for physicians on skin, wound, ostomy, and continence care in the absence of the WOCN.

Outcomes:

A proposal was made to the leadership team at our facility to develop a clinical role for a skin care resource nurse. This nurse is to provide clinical support to patients, nurses, and physicians in the absence of the WOCN.  With the addition of the skin resource nurse role, no lapse in continuity of care was seen with WOCN days off.  Nursing staff and physicians also had a resource to utilize for clinical care and outcomes.  This role has helped provide the skin resource nurse with increased knowledge, which has promoted professional development and clinical expertise.  This clinical role evolvement follows Patricia Benner’s Model of novice to expert.  In this role this nurse must pose expertise in skin, wound, ostomy, and continence care.