debonair

If you want to become part of the Premier organization, but any definition, the WOCN is where it's at. The WOCN (Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse society) is the organization that creates the standards of care adapted by all nursing organizations and health care agencies (not to mention the standard for which care is held to in lawsuits). They continually create new standards of care to specific topics and offer national and regional conferences annually in which to participate. You have the opportunity to join committees and be a part of the large picture. They have created an entire evidence-based nursing practice. The physicians look to them as the experts. To join an accredited school, and it is easier now as there are quite a few online courses, you must have a bachelor's degree and so many hours of practice. Each arm of the WOCN - Wound, Ostomy, Continence is 3 weeks and with clinical time and professional practice, tack on some more, that you can do locally thru another certified WOCN nurse in the particular specialty. You need only take one, two or all three. Professional Practice is added onto each if needed, unless you have had a certification in one of the others already. Renewal is every 5 years by portfolio or retesting. If you just want some credentials and your organization is willing to foot the bill, (about $3500 + expenses), you can get a WCC, which stands for wound care certified, which means you went through their class and exam to obtain their "certificate". In other words, you obtain a certificate, not testing through national certification. However, since WOCN nurses are few and far between, any training you can get to help patients, by all means, go for it.

So do you have a BSN now? I am answering mainly because you have the same last name as I do. I would be interested in your family history (Tammaro). To get a license in any state, once you have a license in your state of residence, see if your state and the state you are going to is part of the compact. If so, you just need to register with the Board of Nursing. If not, you just need to complete an application with the state Board of Nursing and pay the fee. Also, it is best to call the hospital and see if there is a specific nurse recruiter. Call him/her and find out if they hire new grads and if they do not, ask if they know where they might be hiring. Do not give up. I applied for the job I have now six months before and they hired someone in-house and it did not work out and I applied again and they hired me even though their policy was to hire someone in-house first (meaning for this instance, from their 5 adult hospitals and 2 children's hospitals). It is much easier to hire someone in-house who knows their computer documentation system etc., but in this instance, they knew I was the best qualified. If you need to go to a nursing home or rehab center where they are always short of help, you may need to do that. I would not do home care unless you have some general med/surg experience, and if they would hire a new grad, I would not really give credence to them as a stellar home care agency. In home care you have to think on your feet and know all the answers because you have no one as back-up. You also need to know the symptoms you are seeing are distinctive to a particular scenario and you won't know that right out of nursing school. Another route to go, and one I have in the past, is just hire an independent nurse recruiter. Not having experience though would make that a little difficult. HAVE a professionally written resume. And if you have no RN experience, put in skills you do have that might help - like you worked as an aide, familiar with microsoft office, worked well with diverse people in...............etc. You can do it.