Wound care nurses have a rewarding job. They see the direct results of their work through healing patient’s wounds. This specialty provides immediate care for and continuous management of patients with chronic wounds resulting from an illness, injury and surgery. A wound care nurse is an important force in the medical setting; if you’re interested in this type of nursing, you will have to complete an approved course for wound care and get certification. There are many online distance-learning programs for nursing and wound care certification.
Here are some helpful tips for becoming a wound care nurse:
- Complete your nursing education. To become a certified wound care nurse you will need to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). After earning your bachelor’s degree, you will be qualified to sit for the National Council for Licensure Examination (NCLEX). If you pass the exam, you will be designated as a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Science degree (RN-BSN). This makes you eligible to move on to an approved wound care specialty course where you can become a certified wound care nurse.
- Complete a wound care specialty program or have a minimum of five years practical experience. To become a certified wound care nurse, you need to either complete a wound care specialty program or have a minimum of five years of practical experience. If you choose to complete a wound care specialty program, you will be academically and clinically prepared for the demands of this nursing career. The wound care specialty program must be completed in an educational institution accredited by the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB). If you want to take the clinical practice route, you need to have five years of RN practical experience worth 1,500 hours, with 375 hours completed a year before taking the certification exam. You should also complete either 50 contact hours or a graduate course related to wound care specialty.
- Take the national certification exam. WOCNCB is the primary certifying board for wound care nurses. The WOCNCB requirements to receive certification include proof of educational training and proof of practical experience and an application form. Once you have submitted your documents you will take the certification exam. The title Certified Wound Care Nurse (CWCN) or Wound and Ostomy Certified Nurse (WOCN) will be awarded to the passing nurses. Your nursing title will then be Registered Nurse Bachelor of Science, Wound and Ostomy Certified Nurse. (RN-BSN, WOCN). Certification is only valid for five years and needs to be renewed thereafter. Continuing education is also necessary to keep wound care nursing knowledge and skills updated. Although WOCNCB recognizes that certification is wholly voluntary, the board believes it is necessary to ensure the public of competent wound management and care. Certification also increases the professional standards among wound care nurses and marks them as competent and specially-skilled healthcare professionals in the highly competitive labor market. It will also increase your pay as a nurse and you can work independently doing wound care consultations for doctors, hospitals or wound care clinics, home health agencies and hospices. WOCN certified nurse practitioners can even fully operate their own wound care clinics as long as they employ a managing physician to sign wound care orders.
Job Responsibilities
You will be trained to assess and manage wounds and select wound care medications and treatments consistent with the condition of the patients and their wound. When a patient develops a wound, you will be called in to “stage” the wound. In school, they will teach you the different stages of healing in wounds. They will also teach you what treatment to use depending on the type of wound. You will do the initial evaluation, take pictures and measurements and develop a treatment plan. You will then contact the physician for wound care orders and report changes in status of the wound. You will also need to perform wound care, teach wound care to other nurses and do weekly follow up on your patients’ wounds.
This job requires attention to detail, good communication skills, and good critical thinking. It also requires a gentle hand, as some wounds can be very painful. If you are a wound care consultant, you will sometimes need to be available “after hours” in order to answer questions about wound care. You will also need to have a good foundation in nutrition, as this is a big factor in wound care.
Wages and Career Opportunities
If you pursue this career, expect that the job satisfaction rate will be particularly high. This is due to the fact that you are able to provide relief and care to people with serious wounds and witness actual healing due to your hard work. Aside from job satisfaction, you can also expect to receive rewarding compensation. According to recent data, in June 2011 wound care nurses earned an annual income of as much as $57,000, but their salary can go as high as $95,000. This rate is likely to increase, especially because demands for wound care nurses are projected to grow until 2016. In fact, according to available data, jobs for nurses have been increasing 23% since 2006. Therefore, once you complete your wound care education, it will be easy for you to find a job as a certified wound care specialist.
In most wound care nurse positions, you will be able to work Monday through Friday during daytime hours. This offers greater flexibility for other commitments, since most regular nursing shifts are 12 hours any day including weekends and holidays. If you have the skills and the desire to become a wound care nurse you will be greatly rewarded with an exciting position that offers many benefits and higher pay scales.