Eligibility for Recertification

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

Recertification of valid (non-lapsed) WOCNCB credentials:

Be currently licensed as a Registered Nurse (A copy of your current license must be submitted with your application. No other documentation is required.)

Certification after WOCNCB credentials have lapsed

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.

Eligibility Requirement / Policy Changes
The WOCNCB recently discussed and approved changes to its eligibility requirements. Please be aware of these updates when preparing to recertify, or inform others of the change in order to become certified:

EFFECTIVE December 22, 2010

If your credentials lapse:
Any certificant with lapsed credentials is required to prove eligibility via the Experiential Pathway.

CREDENTIAL EXTENSION POLICY

Applicants currently certified by the WOCNCB may request an extension of their credentials for serious medical reasons only. If the applicant has registered for the current examination cycle, the fee may be transferred to the next examination cycle.

The following rules apply:

Must be currently certified by WOCNCB.
Must be seriously ill (or member of immediate family seriously ill), suffer from personal illness or injury, experience unavoidable natural disaster, or be in active military duty outside the United States. Documentation may be requested.
Must request the extension in writing to the WOCNCB Office, located at 555 East Wells Street, Suite 1100, Milwaukee, WI 53202.

Once the extension request is received, it will be reviewed by the Credentialing and Review Committee whereby, a vote will take place to determine if the applicant's credentials will be approved for extension.

If the extension is granted, it is only for a maximum of six months. Only one extension request will be granted per applicant, per five years

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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