Wound, ostomy, and continence nursing is a

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

specialty involved with the treatment of patients with acute and chronic

wound A wound is a rapid onset of injury that involves lacerated or punctured skin (an ''open'' wound), or a contusion (a ''closed'' wound) from blunt force trauma or compression. In pathology, a ''wound'' is an acute injury that damages the epider ...

s, patients with an

ostomy In anatomy, a stoma (plural stomata or stomas) is any opening in the body. For example, a mouth, a nose, and an anus are natural stomata. Any hollow organ can be manipulated into an artificial stoma as necessary. This includes the esophagus, stom ...

(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 GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and ...

bladder The urinary bladder, or simply bladder, is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys before disposal by urination. In humans the bladder is a distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor. Urine en ...

diversion), and patients with incontinence conditions (those with issues of

bladder control Urinary incontinence (UI), also known as involuntary urination, is any uncontrolled leakage of urine. It is a common and distressing problem, which may have a large impact on quality of life. It has been identified as an important issue in geria ...

bowel control Fecal incontinence (FI), or in some forms encopresis, is a lack of control over defecation, leading to involuntary loss of bowel contents, both liquid stool elements and mucus, or solid feces. When this loss includes flatus (gas), it is referred ...

, 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 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 attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

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, 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).

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.

Certification

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.

References

External links

Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society

American Board of Wound Management

ABWM FoundationOstomy Wound Management
{{Nursing Nursing specialties

Practice

Certification

See also

References

External links