How to Become a Wound Nurse

Nurses train much like physicians in every medical department and on a variety of general nursing subjects. However, just as physicians train to become specialists in certain fields of medicine, nurses also can become trained in specific specialties. Nurses who become specialized in wound care understand more specifics about all aspects of wounds and wound care such as the how to properly distinguish between the different infections and proper treatment options. Wound care nurses are also skilled in patient education for home care and are certified to do debridement of the wound and excision of any dead material. Certification to become a wound care nurse or wound care specialist can consist of several different steps.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine what type of nursing accreditation programs are offered in your area that can provide certification in wound care. Organizations to start with consist of the American Academy of Wound Management and the National Alliance of Wound Care along with any online nursing programs that can provide not only certification but continued education units for completion.

• 2

  Identify organizations that will offer you certification due to work experience without requiring added course study. The American Academy of Wound Management does not require registered nurses to pass any further medical study to apply for the wound care certification exam. However, other organizations, such as the National Alliance of Wound Care, require additional educational study or other documented certifications in order to apply for their wound care certification exam.

• 3

  Apply for and pay the exam fees for the accreditation course you have chosen to pursue. The National Alliance of Wound Care offers its wound care certification for approximately $350 and the American Alliance of Wound Care offers its accreditation exam for approximately $400. All certifications are valid for only a certain length of time. For instance, the American Alliance of Wound Care certification is valid for only 10 years from date of completion.

• 4

  After completion of the certification, decide what wound care specialty position you want to pursue. Although many specialties do not actively require specialized course study to work in a specific medical field, it is beneficial to be proficient in a certain specialty and it can increase your potential for advancement into a teaching or educational position such as working with patients or families in proper wound management.

• 5

  Look into medical specialties that need wound care nurses including gastroenterology, wound care treatment centers and infection management positions within a hospital setting such as working with staph and MRSA control.