Pay Range:

Pay Range:$38.93 - $54.76

SEARHC is a non-profit health consortium which serves the health interests of the residents of Southeast Alaska. We see our employees as our strongest assets. It is our priority to further their development and our organization by aiding in their professional advancement.

Working at SEARHC is more than a job, it’s a fulfilling career. We offer generous benefits, including retirement, paid time off, paid parental leave, health, dental, and vision benefits, life insurance and long and short-term disability, and more.

Responsible for creating and maintaining a structured and cohesive wound program across the consortium. Provides direct and indirect patient care, consultation, education, and leadership throughout the health consortium including outpatient, inpatient, home health, and long-term care environments. Consultation and teaching for patients, caregivers, and staff on a wide range of wound care, ostomy and continence related issues including continence is also provided. Provides in-service training to staff, consultation, and support to medical providers for complex wound care and associated complications.

This position is also responsible for the consistent Wound Care and Ostomy delivery of care system for the health consortium. This includes management of supplies (including vendor management for specialty wound and ostomy supplies and/or equipment, as necessary), development of documentation templates, correct billing procedures, and quality improvement activities.

Key Essential Functions and Accountabilities of the Job

Collects and assesses data in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team to provide therapeutic, evidenced based care for the patient and family. The coordinator works collaboratively with the department leaders and team members throughout the health consortium to develop effective plans of care and documents progress toward achieving defined outcomes.

Provides and demonstrates expert wound care, ostomy, and continence nursing care.

Systematically assesses the needs of the patient through assessment, observation, diagnosis, outcomes identification, planning, and implementation (e.g., coordination of care delivery, health teaching and promotion, consultation), and physical examination.

Documents services timely in accordance with the plan of care and maintains current physical, psychosocial, clinical assessment and therapeutic communication skills to determine individual patient needs and expected outcomes.

Manages, plans and organizes individual nursing care for identified patients.

Evaluates and documents patient response to prescribed interventions.

Elicits patient and family participation in care and instructs patients and/or family on subjects such as disease process, risk factors, and prevention of complications.

Anticipates nursing and/or medical problems and initiates preventive measures.

Provides consultation for individuals with altered skin integrity (e.g., pressure ulcers, draining wounds, fistulae) to develop individualized plans of care and attain expected outcomes.

Educates patients and family on protocols to identify, control, or eliminate etiologic factors for skin breakdown, including selection of appropriate support surfaces.

Under physician’s order, provide appropriate debridement of devitalized tissue.

Validates pressure ulcer data collection for nursing quality indicators.

Provides pre- and postoperative education to patients and family with consideration of the need for physical and psychological adaptation.

Assesses the stoma and stoma functioning and initiates appropriate procedures for stoma care.

Assesses and identifies risk factors for urinary or fecal continence disorders.

Responsible for developing consistent wound care, ostomy, and continence delivery of care service throughout the health system based upon community needs, available staffing, and system resources.  The coordinator conscientiously considers factors related to safety, effectiveness, and cost in delivering care.

Acts to facilitate efficient use of time and material resources.

Participates in committees or task forces related to WOC issues.

Participates in developing and implementing procedures and protocols, based on current national guidelines, to deliver care to patients with the following:

Urinary or intestinal disorders resulting in the need for an ostomy.

Conditions requiring wound management.

Impaired or altered skin integrity.

Urinary and/or fecal continence disorders.

Assists the nursing and medical staff in maintaining current knowledge and competence in WOC care through various formats, e.g., formal or informal continuing education programs, rounds, lunch and learn sessions.

Adapts focus of assessment and intervention techniques to accommodate for special issues in the delivery of remote healthcare and responds to changing patient care needs.

Observes health system policies and procedures that ensure the security and safety of patients,

Judges which data needs to be reported to staff or managers, and organizes accurate, efficient, and timely reports.

Provide consultation and education to other WOC nurses throughout the consortium.

Contributes to the selection of cost-effective supplies and equipment related to WOC care.

Attends continuing education programs related to WOC nursing.

Travels approximately 5-10 days per month to SEARHC communities for program development, consultation, patient care, and clinical staff support.

Other duties as assigned.

Education, Certifications, and Licenses Required

Bachelor’s degree in Nursing – required. Active nursing license in Alaska or other U.S. state required. Direct Hire must have applied for an Alaska nursing license at time of hire.

Agency staff must have an active Alaska license.

Current BLS Certification – required.

Current Certification in Wound Care, Ostomy, and Continence – required.

High school diploma or GED

Clinical Competency required within 3 months of hire and every three years

Experience Required

Minimum of two years relevant clinical experience with wounds and/or ostomies, including familiarity with NPWT dressing change procedure – required.

Experience in wound and ostomy care procedures – required

Other Qualifications

Regular travel (approximately 5-10 days per month) to Sitka and Wrangell, and other SEARHC communities, as needed, to support wound, ostomy, and continence care.

Ability to fly in small planes to other remote communities as needed to support wound care, ostomy, continence care.

Travel is by jet, small aircraft, and ferry.

Knowledge of

Knowledge and ability to use nursing information to develop an individualized nursing care plan.

Knowledge of documentation requirements and ability to accurately and completely document clinical data.

Knowledge of a variety of nursing specifications related to specialties including, but not limited to pediatrics, internal medicine, critical care, emergency medicine, mental health, geriatrics and palliative medicine. This includes age specific aspects of nursing care.

Knowledge of disease processes to recognize the effects, side effects and complications.  This includes knowledge of the appropriate therapeutic nursing intervention along with the ability to perform complex nursing care based on the specific needs of the patient.

Knowledge of the pharmacology of various medications (both legal and illegal substances), their therapeutic effects, side effects and adverse reactions, oxygen therapy and airway management

Skills in

Skills in effective communication, both verbally and in writing.

Effective leadership skills, in a healthcare environment.

Ability to

Ability to independently operate basic nurse equipment, e.g., non-invasive blood pressure machines, AED, computers and computer-based systems, telehealth equipment, electronic health record, and electronic medication inventory system.

Ability to use critical thinking skills, function independently and make decisions based on standards.

Ability to recognize adverse signs and symptoms which are not always apparent and to react promptly in urgent situations, including the implementation of life saving procedures.

Ability to provide outstanding customer service with a patient-centered approach.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms.

The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must lift and/or move 50 lbs.

Required Certifications:

Basic Life Support (BLS) - American Heart Association, Certified Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse - Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board, Clinical Competency Assessment - SEARHC, Registered Nurse License - State of Alaska - Alaska State Board of Nursing

If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!