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Take the Next Step in Your Career With Wound Care Certification

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The decision to become wound care certified benefits not just your career, but the lives and outcomes of patients.

With more than 6 million patients in the U.S. affected by chronic wounds, according to Becker's Hospital Review, enrolling in the Wound Care Education Institute (WCEI) can be an important addition to your nursing expertise. Regenia Butler, RN, WCC, DWC, a telemetry nurse and member of the hospital-wide skin prevalence team at Methodist Health System in Dallas, Texas, understands this importance. While working as a supervisor in home health in 2010, a staff member approached her about the idea of getting nurses in the organization wound care certified.

"I thought it was a great idea and jumped at the chance," Butler said. "It has truly been a rewarding experience to become wound care certified. Not only did our team learn a lot about wound care -- which greatly benefited our patients -- we saw our business increase as a result. We received more referrals from physicians due to our staff being wound care certified."

Wound care knowledge is power

Being wound care certified means access to helpful resources that can expand wound care knowledge throughout hospitals, health systems and other healthcare organizations. These resources include free live webinars, free seminars, on-demand webinars for $10 each and Wound Central, a wound care journal published quarterly.

"I'm asked to consult on many wound patients," Butler said. "I sometimes get resistance from other staff members regarding my advice. When this occurs, the WCEI website and the Wound Central journal are some of my go-to resources to help educate fellow nurses and others as to the latest evidence-based treatments for the types of wounds we're discussing."

WCEI alumni also can join a closed Facebook group for sharing professional tips and information on wound care.

Bolster your career options

Nurses and other wound care-certified clinicians also have opportunities to become subject matter experts for special projects, as well as volunteer opportunities for focus groups and some WCEI special events.

"Our alumni made a commitment not only to their careers -- but also to their patients by furthering their knowledge in wound care," said Diana Ramirez-Ripp, CWCMS, manager of live events with the WCEI. "Some of our alumni go on to serve on boards of various organizations or open wound care centers. Once you become certified, you're considered an expert in the field, which can increase the likelihood of more professional opportunities."

Among nurses who have seen an increase in their marketability as a result of becoming wound care certified is Stephanie Mansfield, LVN, WCC, DWC. Mansfield, a wound care coordinator at Willow Bend Nursing and Rehabilitation in Mesquite, Texas, was on Butler's team when the decision was made to pursue wound care certification, she said. Attending the WCEI's annual Wild on Wounds conference each year since 2011 has been a great experience, said Mansfield, who also works as a home health wound care nurse for Bridgeway Health Services in Fort Worth, Texas. "I took two courses and have two certifications from the WCEI and since then, I've had more opportunities in nursing," Mansfield said. "WCEI cares about the nurses, PTs and physicians who attend these conferences. They want us to learn, and if they don't have an answer to a question, they'll get the answer for you."

Ready to become a wound care expert?

Prepare for the CWCN exam with the Wound Care Nursing Certification Review Course.

Nurse.com offers a fully online self-paced prep course. 

Below are some Wound Care continuing education courses to help you get started. Become an unlimited CE member and receive instant access to courses for free!