Comparing Wound Care Certification Options

Wound Care Certification Options

wound care certification options

If you have been researching wound care certification options, you may have stopped after being overwhelmed with a host of acronyms. Despair not- we provide all of the information about the available accredited certification bodies that can help you demystify the process of deciding between wound care certification options.

Simply visit our “compare Wound Care Certification Options” page to learn which license and degree are required as well as how much wound care experience is required. You can then choose which of our courses might best suit your needs.

Our courses will prepare you for the wound care certification option of your choice

There are a variety of wound care certifications available. Our courses are designed to provide you with options by preparing you for the wound care certification of your choice. We believe in choice- when you take one of our courses, we want you to have the option to choose between one of the many certifying bodies available. To this end, we have designed our courses so that you can make the choice that makes the best sense for you.

Whether you are an LPN, RN, physician or other health care professional, we want you to be able to successfully pass the certification exam of your choice that will lead to certification with the certifying body with which you most closely identify. In providing you with so many options, our goal is to help you succeed, no matter which route you choose.

At WoundEducators.com, we have no affiliation with any of the licensing bodies, thus it is not our goal to push you towards choosing one wound care certification over another. All have value, and any of them can help you get to where you want to be in your professional life. Becoming certified as a wound care specialist can help you to move upwards on your career ladder, helping you to command a higher salary or take on a new and challenging role as a wound care professional. But first, you need the necessary education to be able to pass the certification exam of your choice- and that’s where we come in.

Want to learn more about our wound care certification courses? We offer a number of courses geared towards your specific knowledge, experience, and educational background.

Wound Care Certification Boards

For detailed information on the individual certifying visit the links below:

Accredited Wound Care Certifications

For more information about the accreditation in wound care certification, download our white paper:  “The Importance of a Formal Accredited Certification in Wound Care”

38 Comments

  1. Hi,
    Hope your having a wonderful day.
    I was just wondering, in your certification chart/pyramid, WCC was in the bottom and the CWS was in the middle, does it mean that it is a better certification board?
    thanks and much respect,
    Che

    1. Hi Che, The CWS is higher in the hierarchy since it requires a bachelor degree. The CWCA (ten year certification) and WCC (5 year certification) do not require a bachelors, therefore many consider them less “selective” than the CWS.
      Please visit http://www.woundeducators.com for additional resources

    2. I would to get accredited wound care program to do. I am not interested in taking board exams every 4 years . I work in acute rehab and see wounds, dont have excess to acute surgery for clinicals. I would like to do continuing education instead. What program can I do?

  2. I want to become wound certfied. I am a Rn/bsn and have been a rn for 30 years. Yet i dont feel i have the hands on experience. What do I do about that? I am not working in a clinical setting pet se now. Yet I do have past hospital experience. I am lost as what to do next. Thanks

    1. Hi Robin, The American Board of Wound Management describes three years of clinical experience as:

      “Three years of wound care experience can be acquired over the course of your career. It does not necessarily have to be a consecutive three years. Wound care does not have to be your primary responsibility during that time, as long as you can demonstrate you have had roles related to wound care throughout your career.”

      If you wish to have additional experience, I recommend contacting a local certified wound specialist in your area and asking if you can shadow her/him for a few days. You can locate certified wound specialists here: https://portal.abwmcertified.org/ABWMweb/Directory/ABWMcontent/Directory.aspx

      As a BSN we recommend our 57 hour BSN/NP Wound care Certification Course.

      1. I am very interested in wound care it gets me very upset when I see my patients With them I feel classification of the types of wound is essential to learn as Well as how to properly care For Them .

        1. Hi Robin thank you for your comment. It is certainly frustrating when wounds aren’t classified properly. Since you are interested in wound care, you may be interested in pursuing certification. For more information on our courses and the eligibility requirements see our certification courses.

      1. Hi Nancy,

        Thank you for your interest in WoundEducators.com.

        There are no eligibility requirements to take our course. To sit for the certification exam, you will need to show three years of clinical experience. The ABWM defines three years of clinical experience as follows: 
         
        “Three years of wound care experience can be acquired over the course of your career. It does not necessarily have to be a consecutive three years. Wound care does not have to be your primary responsibility during that time, as long as you can demonstrate you have had roles related to wound care throughout your career.” 

        If you do not have the required clinical experience at this time, please contact us so that we can provide you with alternative options.

        The following presentation provides a brief overview of our program: http://woundeducators.com/course-preview/.

        As an LPN we recommend our 50-hour LPN Wound Certification Course.

        The LPN wound certification course is fully accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for 50 CE hours and accepted in all states.

        The American Board of Wound Management (ABWM) administers the only accredited wound care certification examination for an LPN. The ABWM is a national inter-disciplinary certifying board for healthcare professionals involved in wound care. For detailed information about the ABWM exam eligibility requirements, please refer to the attached handbook.

        It is important to note that not all wound care certifications are accredited. We, therefore, recommend reading the following article: The Importance of Formal Accredited Certification in Wound Care.
        The wound certification exam is available on a continuous testing cycle. Completed applications must be received in the ABWM office a minimum of 15 business days before the desired testing date. Once approved, candidates may schedule their examination for any time in the following six months, based on availability.

        Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

    1. The WoundEducators.com online interactive educational programs are convenient and will prepare you for the nationally accredited wound care certification exam provided by the American Board of Wound Management (ABWM). For more information about the ABWM exam eligibility requirements please visit: https://woundeducators.com/wound-certification/abwm.
      The following presentation provides a brief overview of our program: https://woundeducators.com/course-preview/
      We also recommend reading the following article: The Importance of Formal Accredited Certification in Wound Care:
      https://woundeducators.com/accredited-wound-certification/
      If you are leaning toward a course that will eliminate the need for travel and work absences, then the WoundEducators.com online course is perfect for you. It will also allow you to proceed at your own pace with a high level of learning and retention.

      As an LPN we recommend our 50 hour LVN Wound Certification Course. For more information and to register, please visit: https://woundeducators.com/wound-care-certification-courses/wound-care-certification-lpn/
      The LPN wound certification course is fully accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing center (ANCC) for 50 CE hours and is accepted in all states.

  3. I am interested getting certified in wound care but I’m not sure which class to take. I am a Licensed Vocational Nurse for over 12 years now, and currently working full time in the medical/surgical unit and part time in wound care. I have my bachelor’s degree in business management. I don’t know if it matters in getting certified in wound care, just wondering if it counts. Please advise. Thank you.

    1. With your experience and educational background, I recommend getting certified in wound care!

      Because you have a Bachelors degree, you would be eligible to take the accredited CWS certification available for Bachelor and higher prepared professionals. The CWS is a challenging exam, so you will need to take the Advanced wound care certification course.

      The WoundEducators.com online interactive educational programs are convenient and will prepare you for the nationally accredited wound care certification exam provided by the American Board of Wound Management (ABWM).

      I also recommend reading the following article: The Importance of Formal Accredited Certification in Wound Care:

      The Advanced wound certification course is fully accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for 50 CE hours and is accepted in all states.

  4. Hi,God bless you. I took a review of the course in Puerto Rico. My English is not fluent. Not pass the test. They only have us two hours. Can I take it again (the test) ? What are the instruction to take it? Thank you.

    1. There are no eligibility requirements to take our course. To sit for the certification exam you will need to show 3 years of clinical experience.
       
      The American Board of Wound Management describes three years of clinical experience as: 
       
      “Three years of wound care experience can be acquired over the course of your career. It does not necessarily have to be a consecutive three years. Wound care does not have to be your primary responsibility during that time, as long as you can demonstrate you have had roles related to wound care throughout your career.” 
       
      For detailed information visit our wound care certification courses page, or contact us directly.

  5. Hi there,
    I am a diploma RN with 17 year of experience in long term care, hospice and Skilled rehab care. Just wondering if the RN wound care course would be a plus for me?

    1. Hi Elizabeth,

      Thank you for your interest in WoundEducators.com. As a diploma nurse with your level of clinical experience wound care certification is a great option! Hi Elizabeth,

      Thank you for your interest in WoundEducators.com. As a diploma nurse with your level of clinical experience wound care certification is a great option! There are no eligibility requirements to take our course. To sit for the certification exam, you will need to show three years of clinical experience. The ABWM defines three years of clinical experience as follows: 
       
      “Three years of wound care experience can be acquired over the course of your career. It does not necessarily have to be a consecutive three years. Wound care does not have to be your primary responsibility during that time, as long as you can demonstrate you have had roles related to wound care throughout your career.” 

      The following presentation provides a brief overview of our program: https://woundeducators.com/course-preview/.

      Some available wound care certifications are not accredited. Therefore, we highly recommend reading the following article: The Importance of Formal Accredited Certification in Wound Care: https://woundeducators.com/accredited-wound-certification/.

      If you are leaning toward a course that will eliminate the need for travel and work absences, then the WoundEducators.com online course is perfect for you. It will also allow you to proceed at your own pace with a high level of learning and retention.

      As an RN we recommend our 50-hour RN Wound Certification Course. For more information and to register, please visit: https://woundeducators.com/wound-care-certification-courses/wound-care-certification-RN/.

  6. hi, I am an lpn, I would like to take this course, can an lpn take the test and get certified? where is the test given, I am in PA. what is the cost of the course?

    1. As an LPN we recommend our 50-hour LPN Wound Certification Course. For more information and to register, please visit: https://woundeducators.com/wound-care-certification-courses/wound-care-certification-lpn/.

      The LPN wound certification course is fully accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for 50 CE hours and accepted in all states.

      The American Board of Wound Management (ABWM) administers the only accredited wound care certification examination for LPNs. The ABWM is a national inter-disciplinary certifying board for healthcare professionals involved in wound care. View detailed information about the ABWM exam eligibility requirements.

      The test center locations in PA can be viewed here: http://online.goamp.com/CandidateHome/displayTCList.aspx?pExamID=21400

  7. Hi Ms. Swezey,
    I am currently an. L.P.N in New York. I am working towards my R.N. I have always been interested in wound care. What’s the best path for me to follow?
    Thanks,
    Mark Arno-Howell

    1. There are no eligibility requirements to take our course. To sit for the certification exam, you will need to show three years of clinical experience. The ABWM defines three years of clinical experience as follows:

      “Three years of wound care experience can be acquired over the course of your career. It does not necessarily have to be a consecutive three years. Wound care does not have to be your primary responsibility during that time, as long as you can demonstrate you have had roles related to wound care throughout your career.”

      If you do not have the required clinical experience at this time, please contact us so that we can provide you with alternative options.

      The following presentation provides a brief overview of our program: https://woundeducators.com/course-preview/.

      As an LPN we recommend our 50-hour LPN Wound Certification Course. For more information and to register, please visit: https://woundeducators.com/wound-care-certification-courses/wound-care-certification-lpn/.

      The LPN wound certification course is fully accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for 50 CE hours and accepted in all states.

      The American Board of Wound Management (ABWM) administers the only accredited wound care certification examination for an LPN. The ABWM is a national inter-disciplinary certifying board for healthcare professionals involved in wound care. For detailed information about the ABWM exam eligibility requirements, please refer to the attached handbook.

      It is important to note that not all wound care certifications are accredited. We, therefore, recommend reading the following article: The Importance of Formal Accredited Certification in Wound Care: https://woundeducators.com/accredited-wound-certification/.

  8. Hi I am an AD RN. I have a colleague who became certified and paid $3000. She passed the test first time. She had a week long course. Is this course you are offering equivalent? I want to become certified and am speptical. I don’t want hidden fees . Bottom line is , I want to be one WCC. I live in RI.

    1. Hi JohAnne, The WCC is not an accredited certification, so we recommend the accredited CWCA wound care certification. For more information refer to our article “The Value of a Formally Accreditated Certification in Wound Care.

      The WCEI wound care certification course is a $2,700 course and provides 23.75 CE hours of education. Our RN wound care certification course cost $797 and provides 50 CE hours and wound training kit which is shipped to your home.

      As an AD RN we recommend our 50-hour RN Wound Certification Course.

  9. Hi, I AM A CNA certified and a graduated practical nurse. I would like to take the wound care certification.
    Am I qualify for the course?

    thanks

    1. Anite, thank you for your interest in our wound care courses. You do qualify to take our course.

      CNA course – https://woundeducators.com/wound-care-certification-courses/cna-ma/

      Licensed Practical Nurse Course – https://woundeducators.com/wound-care-certification-courses/lpn/

      To sit for the certification exam, you will need to show three years of clinical experience. The ABWM defines three years of clinical experience as follows:

      “Three years of wound care experience can be acquired over the course of your career. It does not necessarily have to be a consecutive three years. Wound care does not have to be your primary responsibility during that time, as long as you can demonstrate you have had roles related to wound care throughout your career.”

      If you do not have the required clinical experience at this time, please contact us so that we can provide you with alternative options.

      The following presentation provides a brief overview of our program: http://woundeducators.com/course-preview/.

    1. Takita, as an MD, we recommend you pursue the CWSP because it is the most exclusive ABWM certification available. Only physicians (MD’s, DO’s, and DPM’s) can receive the CWSP. The CWS is the certification most BSNs and RNs qualify for, and they are unable to take the CWSP because nurses do not meet the CWSP requirement. To learn more about the CWSP – visit our CWSP certification page

      You can use our newly updated Physician Wound Certification course to prepare for the CWSP exam.

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