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Specializes in Acute care, Rehab, Hospice, wound care.

Hi, all

I'm trying to figure out whether or not I should go to school for my CWOCN or should I just become certified in wound care. What is your opinion? Personally, I like straight wound care, but would I limit myself if I just became certified in wound care?

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Specializes in Telemetry & PCU.

How would you become certified in wound care and not do the CWOCN? I thought that was the certification?

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Specializes in Acute care, Rehab, Hospice, wound care.

Hi, Groovy Jeff

From my understanding it all depends on the accrediating body under which you received your certification. Some wound care nurses work specifically in continence or ostomy care or wounds only. A Cerified wound care specialist would work specifically with wounds no fistulas or ostomies.

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Specializes in Telemetry & PCU.

This is on the Wound Educators web site:

The Certified wound care associate (CWCA™): A basic certification in wound management. Healthcare professionals must have a minimum of three years of clinical experience to be eligible to take this exam.

The Certified Wound Specialist (CWS®): An advanced certification in wound management. Healthcare professionals with either a Bachelors, Doctoral or Master's degree in a life sciences related field and who have three or more years of clinical wound care experience are eligible to take the CWS examination.

There is also a certification through WOCN and here is their link: http://www.wocn.org/Education/

They have a WOC certification which you must have your BSN.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Wound Care.

You can also be specifically Wound Care certified through WCEI

http://www.wcei.net/

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Specializes in Hospice, Geriatrics, Wounds.

Please be careful when choosing which agency to obtain your certification from!! I have heard that some agencies are not accrediated and their certification doesn't really mean anything.

Click this link to see a great comparison chart regarding certification agencies:

http://www.wocncb.org/become-certified/how_to_choose.pdf

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Wound Care.
Please be careful when choosing which agency to obtain your certification from!! I have heard that some agencies are not accrediated and their certification doesn't really mean anything.

Click this link to see a great comparison chart regarding certification agencies:

http://www.wocncb.org/become-certified/how_to_choose.pdf

WCEI is the group giving the course for WCC, but the test is given by the NAWC®. So completion of the course and passing the NAWC test gives you the WCC certification.

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