Wound care nurses (WOC nurses) bring their skills and techniques together to heal patients both physically and mentally. Nurses who decide to become certified in wound care are entering an in-demand specialty. Read on to learn about this important branch of nursing including how to become a wound care nurse and how much you can make. Part One What is a Wound Care Nurse? A Certified Wound Care Nurse is a nurse that has become certified in treating wounds (CWCN), continence care (CCCN), ostomies (COCN), or all three, making them a fully Certified Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurse (CWOCN). These certified nurses are considered experts in their field of wound treatment and typically work dedicated positions in hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies. They receive consultations for treatment and monitoring of wounds/ostomies, provide direct care, porn affiliates educate patients, families, and nurses, and manage wound care programs. According to the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB), more than 9,700 Wound, Ostomy, Continence and Foot Care nurses are currently certified by the WOCNCB. This data w as done by GSA Content Generator DEMO .
But don’t be fooled, passing the certification exam is difficult and requires determination, skill, and preparation. Why Should You Become Certified in Wound Care? Becoming a wound-care certified nurse opens the doors to more job opportunities, higher pay, professional prestige, and personal satisfaction. It also fulfills continuing education requirements for nurses. Part Two What Do Wound Care Nurses Do? Because certified wound care nurses are a specialty of nursing, they are consulted by physicians, give recommendations, and treat and follow up with patients just as any consulting team does. Many wound care teams will draft and institute wound, ostomy, and incontinence policies. The median annual salary for all RNs is $77,600 per year, or $37.31 per hour according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of June 2022, though conditions vary by area. Unfortunately, the BLS does not differentiate between different types of nurses or those with certifications.
However, many employers offer a salary differential for this role because certified wound care is considered a specialty. Currently, Kansas pays 38% less than the national average. To be certified by the Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB), a bachelor’s degree in nursing is required. The WOCNCB is a commonly recognized certifying board exclusively for nurses. There are other certifying bodies, like the American Board of Wound Management (grants the Certified Wound Specialist certification) or the National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy (grants the Wound Care Certification). Both are open to many healthcare professionals, including physical therapists, physicians, licensed vocational nurses, etc. It is important to check with your facility about which certification they recognize. Gaining certification from the WOCNCB requires that you obtain schooling from one of their board-approved list of programs. These include both brick and mortar universities as well as online-only schools. The curriculum will typically include 2 semesters (about 15 credit hours) worth of courses, with a separate clinical component in which students must find a board-certified preceptor.
Clinical practicum hours may range from 140-180 hours. The cost of education varies by program and can be anywhere from $2,500 to $6,500 depending on how many specialties of wound care you are certified in (i.e. only wound care versus wound, ostomy, and continence). There is also an option to obtain certification via experience. This requires 50 related CEs and 1500 hours of clinical exposure for each branch of certification desired, over the last 5 years. Recertification for all specialties occurs every 5 years. The cost of the actual exam varies depending on how many specialties you are pursuing. One specialty is $395. Four specialties are $670. A discount of $100 is granted for those who fail the exam the first time and wish to take it again. How Long Does it Take to Become a Wound Care Nurse? Most wound care certification programs take approximately 2-3 months to complete, then you'll need to take and pass the certification exam in whatever specialty you've chosen. This post was generat ed with t he help of G SA Con tent G enerator Demov ersion .