Can you become a wound care specialist right out of school?

jungle49 · Feb 21, 2015

Good thread...it is very worrisome when you hear about people needing very little experience to become a wound care nurse. Wound care is a science and critical thinking is crucial. It's not something learned overnight and wound care is constantly evolving. There is much to be said when you have patients tell you they trust your assessment and recommendations more than their providers. It's much more than simply slapping on a dressing. You get people in the health field who call any and all skin ulcers pressure ulcers. Why? Lack of education. You get people who will put moist dressings on dry gangrene. Why? Lack of education. You get people who see a leg ulcer and automatically order compression without looking at the "big picture". Why? Lack of education. There is little focus on wound care in nursing school and doctors will tell you the same applied to them with their training. I said it before and I'll say it again, I thought I knew my stuff in wound care after a short OJT stint. Only after studying for my WOCN certification did I realize I knew very little. So if any clinic picks you up and tells you they can train you realize it's not enough.

Hello,

I took online class at Wicks Educational and passed certification exam. Out hospital is offering couple of positions, I applied, had an interview, doesn't look like I am going to get the job, although I am working at the hospital for 8 years as a bedside nurse. My question is where should I go to get an experience as a wound care nurse. I work 3 days a week, so I can do couple of days a week doing wounds. Please let me know if you have an idea. Thank you.

woundnurse4u · Feb 22, 2015

I think the best thing you can do is to start loading up on relevant CEUs. These courses are easy to find and sometimes vendors even offer free CEUs (like Medline, Hollister, Convatec). Once you have built up some base knowledge, look for opportunities. Volunteer for your employer's skin care team if they have one. Look for a prn position in a capacity that allows you to hone your skills. Don't be afraid to network at on-site courses. Believe me, if you show potential then someone will notice your potential value and want to hire you. I have met nurses who want to work in wound care but they don't show any initiative to push themselves into the role they want. If those nurses were more apt to volunteer on our skin care team, they would have a better chance of being considered when the position opens.