to WTA is that Licensed Practical Nurses( LPNs) can participate in this program and sit for a board exam. WTAs are trained by a CWOCN to provide pressure injury prevention interventions and education, patient monitoring, and basic wound management under the supervision of a licensed independent practitioner.
Professional Practice, Public Policy and Advocacy
CWOCNs have many opportunities to advance professional practice through mentoring and preceptorship, national and international conference attendance, and volunteer opportunities. Additionally, many are very involved in public policy and advocacy, informing colleagues and the public about legislation and regulatory actions that can impact the roles of WOCNCB certified nurses and the patients they serve. CWOCNs are closely involved with public policy knowledge and activism and providing safe, expert care. They also work closely with the United Ostomy Associations of America( UOAA), supporting, empowering, and advocating for the ostomate community of those who have had or will have an ostomy or continent diversion surgery. CWOCNs are also often subscribers to journals and professional organizations to stay up to date on standards of care and evidenced-based practices.
Summary
In summary, CWOCNs are rigorously trained and tested; they possess expert knowledge in assessment, treatment, patient education, and follow-up. CWOCNs work collaboratively with multiple disciplines to devise a holistic plan of care and evaluate the results. Additionally, they are continually learning and expanding professional practice, with multiple, diverse opportunities to do so. They play a crucial role in multiple avenues of healthcare from direct patient outcomes, improving quality of life, and reducing cost, while promoting effective resource utilization within healthcare facilities.
The passion for WOC nursing is driven by the desire to make a positive impact on patients’ lives. Major victories include seeing a chronic wound resolve after updating and evaluating the plan of care, having a patient tell you he was able to attend his child’ s wedding without being worried about an incontinence issue, or seeing a patient with a new ostomy fly across the country and attend a grandchild’ s graduation without worrying about where the closest restroom is. There are important yet smaller victories such as applying a negative pressure dressing with no leaks on the first try or making a patient’ s life easier by recommending a different type of ostomy pouch or accessory product. There is also nothing quite like the satisfaction of applying a fistula pouch or management system and enabling someone to get back to a somewhat normal lifestyle or routine without the worry of drainage, odor, or body image concerns.
As a CWOCN, my motivation and passion for the specialty truly comes from my patients, the hands-on care, teaching, the positive outcomes, and the difference I can make on a daily basis.
Bio
Holly M. Hovan, MSN, APRN, GERO-BC, CWOCN-AP, is a board-certified advanced practice wound, ostomy and continence nurse. She is a member of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board( WOCNCB) Board of Directors and has served in various capacities since 2019. She has a passion for education, teaching, and providing evidence-based nursing care at the bedside. Holly has been practicing as a WOC nurse specialist for the past 12 years and has been a nurse for 17 years total. A large majority of her time in healthcare has been spent caring for older adults and in academia as a clinical and lab instructor for nursing students.
34 NSNA Imprint