Wound, ostomy, and continence nursing is a
nursing
Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...
specialty involved with the treatment of patients with acute and chronic
wound
A wound is any disruption of or damage to living tissue, such as skin, mucous membranes, or organs. Wounds can either be the sudden result of direct trauma (mechanical, thermal, chemical), or can develop slowly over time due to underlying diseas ...
s, patients with an
ostomy (those who have had some kind of
bowel
The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The tract is the largest of the body's systems, after the cardiovascular system. T ...
or
bladder
The bladder () is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys. In placental mammals, urine enters the bladder via the ureters and exits via the urethra during urination. In humans, the bladder is a distens ...
diversion), and patients with incontinence conditions (those with issues of
bladder control,
bowel control, and associated skin care). Nurses in this specialty are often referred to as wound, ostomy, and continence nurses (WOC nurses). They use evidence-based knowledge and skills to manage the care of these patients, whose needs can often be complex. In the United States,
certification
Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...
is available for this specialty from the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board; for example, the
postnominals
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters, or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, an academic degree, accreditation ...
"CWON" represent the title of Certified Wound and Ostomy Nurse. There are additional organizations that offer varying levels of certification in this field (e.g., American Board of Wound Management).
In some countries, such as the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, WOC nursing is not seen as its own specialty but instead falls into other specialties such as tissue viability nursing or stoma care nursing.
Practice
WOC nurses are found in all healthcare settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities and outpatient clinics. They work with patients who have acute or chronic wounds, fistulas or ostomies. They may assist patients who have other bowel or bladder disorders.
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Certification
In the United States
Specialty certification for WOC nurses is available through the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB). Nurses and other healthcare professionals may also earn the Certified Wound Specialist (CWS) certification through the American Board of Wound Management.
See also
*List of nursing specialties
This is a list of different nursing specialities. In recent decades, the number of non-bedside nursing roles has increased. Professional organizations or certifying boards issue voluntary Nursing board certification, certification in many of the ...
References
External links
Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society
American Board of Wound Management
ABWM FoundationOstomy Wound Management
{{Nursing
Nursing specialties
Gastroenterology