Love wounds

[ostomyrn2b09]

Hi, I've been an RN Case Manager for Home Based Primary Care for 2 years now. While I love working with adult geriatric population and hrs (m-f 8-4:30), my real passion is for wound care. I LOVE all wounds, and ostomies. From the minute I decided to be a nurse, I KNEW I had to become a wound care nurse! Our home care program does not deal with stage 3 and above wounds due to increased nurse visit frequency. I would love to get my WOCN online through Emory but I'm debating whether to get my MSN first. While researching this, I've come across many wound care nurses who all have MSN credentials next to their name. I've also been told since I don't have acute care experience, I will not get hired as a wound care nurse. Help! Any advice appreciated! Should I get my MSN now, ( not married yet, no kids), if so which specialty track to better market myself. After MSN, I should get my WOCN? Or should I move away from home care, transfer to Med surg for more acute care experience dealing with more complicated wounds? Thanks!

Jackie

[RachRN11]

I earned my CWOCN through Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH (I'd recommend going there because I had a good experience with it but that's not to discredit Emory, of course!) I worked not quite 2 years on a surgical care floor before my employer offered to send me to schooling for WOC nursing. I don't have an MSN (only BSN) and still got a job as a WOC nurse. Now, I was sent to schooling because the hospital I worked at needed a wound care nurse so I didn't have to job hunt or market myself (fortunately). You can get an advance practice nurse in wound, ostomy, and continence care (after earning MSN, I believe) which would make you more marketable to outpatient wound clinics or wound specialty doctors I'd think.

I'm kind of rambling, but my point is to GO FOR IT! In regards to which to get first (MSN or CWOCN) I'd go with whichever schooling fits into your life at that certain time. I actually "moved" to Cleveland and had on-site classes and clinicals for 2 months but I was only just engaged with no children so I was free enough to pack up and move temporarily. I think if you do it online, it's 6 months but don't quote me on that.

Also, you can always get your CWOCN and work on a med-surg floor while you search for a WOC nursing job or while you're going to school for your MSN.

Happy learning and I hope it all falls into place for you soon! Wound/Ostomy/Continence care is an exciting field!