About Us

• Accreditation
• Board of Directors
• Credentials
• Credential Review and Appeals
• Job Analysis
• History
• Bylaws
• Value of Certification
  • For Nurses
  • For Administrators
  • For Consumers

Skip Nav

About WOCNCB^®

Founded in 1978, the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB) is a not-for-profit professional, international nursing organization certifying nearly 6,700 registered nurses who are specialists in the field of wound, ostomy, continence and foot care. WOCNCB has Board Certified nurses in Canada, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.

Our Mission Statement

Promoting the highest standard of consumer care and safety by providing credentialing in the areas of wound, ostomy, continence and foot care nursing.

Purpose

The purpose of WOCNCB shall be:

• to set, maintain, and evaluate national standards for certification and re-certification in wound, ostomy, continence and foot care nursing,
• to promote the certification program for wound, ostomy, continence and foot care nursing practice,
• to encourage continued professional growth in specialized nursing practice,
• to provide formal recognition of individuals who meet the certification requirements, and
• to provide identification of nurses who have achieved certification in wound, ostomy, continence and foot care nursing to employing agencies, the public and other healthcare professionals.

Philosophy

The WOCNCB endorses the concept of voluntary, periodic certification. WOCNCB certification focuses specifically on the individual and is an indication of current knowledge in a specialized area of nursing practice. Certification provides formal recognition of wound, ostomy or continence (WOC) and foot care nursing knowledge.

The objectives of the WOCNCB certification program are to promote excellence in wound, ostomy, continence and foot care nursing by:

1. recognizing formally those individuals who meet all the requirements of the WOCNCB
2. encouraging continued professional growth in the practice of wound, ostomy, continence and foot care nursing
3. establishing and measuring the level of knowledge required for certification in wound, ostomy, continence and foot care nursing.
4. providing a standard of knowledge required for certification, thereby assisting the employer, public and members of health professions in the assessment of the Wound, Ostomy, Continence and Foot Care Nurse.

Maintenance of Professional Licensure

As part of any code of nursing professional practice, it is expected that there will be no lapse of professional licensure during the five-year certification period. Any appearance of licensure revocation, including those due to any misdemeanor or felony charges, will immediately be reported to the WOCNCB resulting in the revocation of certification. Reapplication for certification will be considered on an individual basis following reinstatement of RN licensure by the appropriate State Board of Nursing. Proof of a current RN license must accompany all applications.

Reporting Responsibilities
To protect the validity of WOCNCB credentials, the WOCNCB depends upon WOCNCB certificants, WOCN^® Society members and the public to report incidents that may require action by the Credential Review and Appeals Committee. Click here to submit a formal complaint.

For a complete copy of the WOCNCB’s Credential Review and Appeals process, contact our office at info@wocncb.org.

Statement of Nondiscrimination Policy

The WOCNCB does not discriminate among certificants on any basis that would violate any applicable laws.