nurse wrapping gauze around patient foot

Wound Care Nursing

Learn More about a Career in Wound Care Nursing

Wound nurses care for patients with wounds caused by medical treatments, diseases, or injuries. They also provide post-surgery treatment and care for patients with ostomies, which are surgical openings that allow for the elimination of bodily waste.

Wound nurses often work with a health care team, assessing patients, managing wounds, alleviating pain, and monitoring healing. In addition to providing direct care, Certified Wound Care Nurses educate patients, caretakers, and other medical professionals on the management and prevention of wounds.

Preparation Path

Earn your BSN

Pass the NCLEX and become an RN

Earn WOC Certification

Typical Tasks

  • Preventing bedsores
  • Debriding, cleaning, and bandaging wounds
  • Completing proper documentation for Medicare reimbursement and writing orders to promote wound healing and the prevention of skin breakdown
  • Treating ulcers, abscesses, and feeding tube sites to speed healing
  • Cleaning wounds and developing wound care treatment plans
  • Administering pain medication and pain management procedures

Employment Settings

  • Hospitals
  • Wound care centers
  • Individual patients’ homes
  • Nursing homes and long-term care facilities
  • Hospices
  • Public health agencies

Annual Salary Range

$41,701 – $83,160

Education Requirements

BSN

Certification

RN, plus Wound, Ostomy, Continence (WOC) Certification

Ready to start your path to becoming a wound care nurse?