In Brief:
The WOCNCB® is acutely aware of the increased demands on our certified nurses in all practice settings and the need for wound care specialists at all levels of nursing education, licensure, and scope of practice. This need is best illustrated when considering the aging U.S. population and the need to promote additional bedside collaborative team support for the WOCNCB® certified nurse. To help meet the increased demands for certified wound treatment nurses, the WOCNCB® has created a psychometrically sound and legally defensible certification exam for those completing the WOCN sponsored Wound Treatment Associate (WTA) program. The WTA-C® exam validates basic wound care knowledge, and principles underlying the clinical skills needed to support safe, quality, patient/family-centered care. The certification is voluntary and confirms that the non-baccalaureate prepared nurse under the guidance of a CWOCN, or a CWOCN-AP has adequate knowledge to implement effective wound treatments and pressure ulcer prevention strategies. Development of the WTA-C® represents a critical stage in the evolution of nursing-based wound care delivery. The valuable addition of this WTA-C role continues the tradition of improving outcomes at the bedside, the community and with whom all WOCNCB certified nurses touch - one patient at a time.
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