Eligibility for WOCNCB Certification

To be eligible for the WOCNCB examination(s) an applicant must fulfill the following requirements.

Initial certification

Be currently licensed as a Registered Nurse (A copy of your current license must be submitted with your application)
Hold a bachelor's degree (A copy of your diploma or transcripts must be submitted with your application)
Fulfill ONE of the following requirements:
- Accredited Education Program Pathway
  - Complete a WOC Nursing Education Program that is accredited by WOCN. Click here to access list of programs.
  - Candidates are required to successfully complete exam(s) within five years of graduation from a Wound, Ostomy, Continence Education Program, or they must then prove eligibility via the Experiential Pathway.
  - The Nursing Education Program must be accredited at the time of graduation.
  - A copy of your certificate of completion/graduation must be submitted with your application. Please contact an accredited program for more information.
- Experiential Pathway
  - Within each specialty for which certification is sought, 50 contact hours or an equivalent in college course work post-Bachelor’s must be completed over the previous five years. All contact hours or college course work must directly apply to the specialty area for which you apply.
  - For each certification specialty, 1500 clinical hours must be completed over the previous five years. Further, 375 of those hours must have occurred with the past one-year prior to application.
  - Accumulation of contact and clinical hours must be earned post-Bachelor’s and while functioning as an RN.
  - Please read the complete instructions regarding documentation required in the Experiential Pathway section of the handbook. Click here for Handbook.

To be accepted for the examination(s), individuals must fulfill the eligibility requirements outlined above and submit a completed application, required documentation and fee by the application postmark deadline.

Recertification of valid WOCNCB credentials (non-lapsed)
OR
Certification after WOCNCB credentials have lapsed

Please refer to the handbook or click here for the Recertification Eligibility page.

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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