| A wound care nurse practitioner is someone who | | | | patient can expect to have their wounds cleaned and |
| must have an extremely gentle touch. Each form of | | | | dressed on a daily basis. |
| nursing requires its own kind of skill. A Med/surg | | | | Challenges |
| nurse must have good knowledge of general disease | | | | Wound care is a challenging profession. Wounds are |
| and a strong back to lift patients. A telemetry nurse | | | | often painful to touch and removing the tape and |
| must have good technological skills and a critical nurse | | | | dressing associated with the wound can hurt the |
| must be able to function well in a crisis. However, a | | | | patient as well. Nurses must have a very gentle |
| wound care nurse practitioner needs something that | | | | attitude and be able to deal with the pain and anger |
| comes innately and can't be taught in school - a | | | | some patients feel. Because deep wounds can also |
| compassionate nature, a strong stomach and a very | | | | be disfiguring if not treated properly, the patient can |
| light touch. | | | | exhibit anger. |
| A Specialty Field | | | | In wound care management there are 2 types of |
| Wound care nursing is usually done in a hospital or | | | | wounds: dirty wounds with infection, pus or chronic |
| specialty clinic that treats wounds or particular sores. | | | | disintegration, and clean wounds, usually made by |
| It is also a highly valued position in nursing homes and | | | | surgeons during a procedure. Burns, bed sores and |
| convalescent centers where elderly patients are | | | | spreading wounds are all dirty wounds. Dirty wounds |
| prone to bed sores. The requirement is a Bachelors | | | | usually are accompanied by the dead flesh that must |
| Degree in Nursing and a specialized certification in the | | | | be removed when the wound in clean. The smell of |
| field of wound care management. Wound care nurses | | | | the wound is nauseating to some, and is one of the |
| spend a great deal of time in continuing education as | | | | things a wound care nurse practitioner must get used |
| theories on pain management and wound care | | | | to dealing with. |
| change rapidly and new techniques and bandages are | | | | Rewards |
| developed frequently. | | | | Wound care nurse practitioners often work with |
| Changing Daily | | | | children or victims of accidents and fire. They report |
| The overall job of a wound care specialist is to help | | | | their work is highly satisfying as they see people heal |
| the patient change and dress wounds to promote | | | | and recover their life and abilities back. Although the |
| healing, prevent infection and lack of scarring. A | | | | patients think of the nurse "causing pain" in their lives |
| diseased or infected wound can lead to many | | | | because of the daily cleaning, when the time is over |
| complications in the patient including the need for | | | | most patients have developed a strong bond with |
| amputation of skin, a limb, or even death if the | | | | their nurse due to the extensive time spent together. |
| infection makes it way to the heart. Your skin is the | | | | Wound care nurse practitioners offer a special |
| largest living organ on your body and it's vitally | | | | service and an incredibly needed set of gifts to the |
| important to keep it from infection. When under the | | | | health care community. |
| treatment of a wound care nurse practitioner, a | | | | |