Certification

• Wound Ostomy Continence
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Eligibility for Wound, Ostomy or Continence Certification

Certification by the WOCNCB validates that you have passed a national exam that accurately reflects the knowledge and skill required by the specialties you practice. You may certify in one, two or all three of the wound, ostomy or continence (WOC) specialties.

Complete eligibility information is found in the Exam Handbook, but in general, to be eligible to take a WOC Certification Exam, you must:

• Be currently licensed as a Registered Nurse or Advanced Practice Nurse
• Hold a bachelor's degree
• Fulfill ONE of the following educational and clinical practice requirements:

• You have completed a WOC Nursing Education Program that is accredited by the WOCN Society within the last five years.

• Click here to access the list of programs.

OR

• You have completed the Experiential Pathway, which requires 50 contact hours or equivalent in college course work post-bachelor’s degree, per specialty, within the last five years. In addition, the pathway requires a minimum of 1500 clinical hours completed within the past five years, and 375 of those hours competed within the past year.

Click here to access the Exam Handbook.