Wound Care Specialty for Nurses

Looking for a way to distinguish yourself in your career? A wound care specialty may be a great fit for you. A wound care specialty allows you to focus on one area and become an expert in that one area, rather than being a generalist in many different areas. By obtaining a wound care specialty you show your employer that you are serious about moving ahead and you deserve their respect and recognition.

Opportunities for wound care nurses

A wound care specialty affords nurses the opportunity to work in many settings including:

• Acute care– there is high demand for nurses with a wound care specialty in acute care to care for medical and surgical patients with acute and chronic wounds.
• Long term care- nursing homes and other long term care facilities have the highest proportion of elderly patients, who often have chronic wounds complicated by comorbidities. Wound care nurses are in high demand is these facilities.
• Home care– these days, patients are being discharged home with wounds requiring ongoing care for prolonged periods of time. Home care nurses see patients in their homes and are responsible for planning and implementing a wound care plan.

Wound care education for nurses

Nurses of all levels can benefit from wound care education. WoundEducators.com offers wound care courses geared towards your specific level of education:

• CNAs/MAs– certified nursing assistants and medical assistants can take the CNA wound care certification course or the MA course, which will prepare you for national certification. CNAs, Nursing Assistants and Medical Assistants with at least three years of wound care experience are eligible to take the CWCA® national wound care certification examination. CNAs or MAs without 3 years of experience can alternately start with their WCC® certification. 
• LPNs/LVNs– the basic wound care certification course for LPNs and LVNs prepares you for national certification in wound care management. LPNs and LVNs with three years of clinical experience and at least a high school diploma are eligible to take the national CWCA® wound care certification examination.  Any LPN who hasn’t quite built up the experience needed for the CWCA can opt for the WCC® certification instead. 
• RNs– registered nurses can take the RN wound care certification course which will provide you with the knowledge you need to take and pass the certification examination of your choice. RNs with three years of clinical experience are eligible to take the CWS® national wound certification examination. Like any other type of nurse, the WCC® is an option if you do not have the required experience for the ABWM wound care certifications. 
• BSNs/NPs– nurses with a bachelor’s degree and nurse practitioners can take WoundEducator’s BSN wound care certification course or the Nurse Practitioner wound certification course. BSNs and NPs 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® national wound certification examination. 

Interested in a wound care specialty? Visit WoundEducators.com to learn more about wound care education and wound care certification. Have more questions or not sure where to start? Contact us!