Get a job at the hospital FIRST!!! For some reason everyone wants nurses to “specialize”, which I don’t like because it’s hard to get “well rounded”, experience if we are expected to “specialize”. But that’s what I’ve run into. However, believe it or not, the LTC/SNF have a lot of “wounds” and are a great setting to learn in, and to get a lot of experience in different kinds of wound care, as well as everything else in general.
Work on a burn unit to start.
Hi! I am the CNO of a Wound Care Consultant company. We absolutely LOVE hiring new grads to be wound care nurses. There is often a misconception that you have to do a few years at the bedside to specialize, which can't be further from the truth. If you find the right company willing to invest and get you into a specialty you know you love already, then we are here for you! There definitely many different areas to do wound care such as SNF/LTAC, Outpatient, and Inpatient. I advise you to think about what environment you want to work in first and then research companies that have these positions open to see if they are a good fit for you. Specifically to us, we are looking for those passionate about wound care and then we can take care of the rest.
There are many wound care nursing jobs in the nursing homes. You can apply there and then look into getting certified as a WOCN.
Hi. I think you should show interest in wounds by working with the wound nurse who consults on your assigned unit and by taking initiative when patients on your assigned unit either are admitted with or develop wounds. Also, show interest in preventing all types of wounds including pressure wounds. At some point you will need to find out how to get certified in wound/ostomy/incontinence care. Some programs offer scholarships. Hope this helps.
