Board Certification: Why Certify?

The Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB) began certifying nurses in 1978 as a way to recognize and differentiate the value of expert nurses from those at an entry level. Becoming board certified is a voluntary process that requires consistent evaluations of a nurse’s professional knowledge and skills. While a nurse who is not board certified may possess basic entry level skills, he or she may not have the specialized skills and experience to adequately provide expert care. Board certification ensures that a nurse is knowledgeable and well-qualified to provide specialized care.

The WOCNCB offers you the only independently certified credential that is solely dedicated to nurses.

As part of a growing and dynamic industry, you must remain competitive. You are responsible for providing the best possible care for your patients. Becoming board certified results in improved patient satisfaction and cost-effective care. Your commitment is necessary to raise the standard of care on a state and national level.

Certification ensures that

You are knowledgeable and well-qualified to provide specialized care at your institution.
You have a significant positive impact on patient care and safety
You will provide cost-effective care
You will gain respect from patients
You will have greater job satisfaction

In a survey conducted by the American Board of Nursing Specialties, it is cited that:

Certification is perceived as influencing accountability, accomplishment, growth, and specialized knowledge, as well as a level of recognition among employers, peers, and consumers.
Nurse managers expressed a preference for hiring certified nurses because certified nurses have a proven knowledge base and documented experience in a given specialty.

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WOCNCB® is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC), formerly the ABNS Accreditation Council, and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies