Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Education Center

Preceptor Portal

Preceptor requirements

• RN with a Baccalaureate Degree
• Current Board Certification
• At least one (1) year of full-time clinical experience as a WOC Nurse post certification
• Sufficient patient census to provide needed learning experiences - this must be documented by simple statistics.

Most clinical sites require an Affiliation Agreement with Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. The WOCNEC will work with the appropriate individuals in your identified clinical agency to establish the agreement. Establishment of an affiliation agreement can take as long as 6 months, so it is critical for us to get this information as soon as possible.

Foot and Nail Course

All courses are online, asynchronous, and self-paced. Students are allowed 3 months online access per course, but can follow an accelerated schedule if desired. The courses include learning objectives, suggested readings (provided in both hard copy and online formats*), video lectures, learning activities, quizzes, and exams. (*Online format only for Foot and Nail course.) A score of 80% is required for all graded assignments, quizzes, and exams. Course includes:

• Overview of skin; skin care strategies
• Pressure redistribution concerns
• Structures and function of the foot and nail
• Common pathologic conditions affecting the foot and nail
• Comprehensive assessment of the foot and nail (sensorimotor, vascular, skin and soft tissue, nails, and footwear)
• Impact of diabetes on the lower limb and implications for clinical management
• Preventive foot and nail care and education
• Management of common problems (thickened nails, ingrown nails, corns and calluses)

Registration includes 3-months online access to Foot and Nail Course. Emory Nursing Professional Development Center (ENPDC) is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Attendees to this CNE activity will be awarded 36 contact hours by ENPDC.

Certification Information

• Foot and Nail Certification
• Foot and Nail Course
• Program Evaluation
• Contact Hour Certificate
• Obtain 40 Clinical Hours (not offered through Emory WOCNEC)
• Apply for certification

Foot and Nail Didactic Only
36 Contact hours Awarded
Cost $750.00

Wound Treatment Associate

Acknowledging the ever growing demand for wound care services in all health care settings, the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses (WOCN) Society  developed the Wound Treatment Associate (WTA) Program to:

1. Educate and prepare more skilled wound care providers across settings, including the military.
2. Enhance nurses’ ability to provide optimal care for patients with acute and chronic wounds as members of a collaborative wound care team.
3. Provide the non-specialty nurse the ability to facilitate optimal care for patients with acute and chronic wounds under the direction of the WOC specialty nurse, WOC advanced practice registered nurse or physician.

The WTA Program consists of online learning modules, narrated by Dr. Phyllis Bonham, PhD, MSN, RN, CWOCN, DPNAP, FAAN, and Dorothy Doughty, MN, RN, CWOCN, FAAN followed by on-site competency training and testing.

Mandatory Applied Learning Day

The WTA course must be completed in 12 weeks. Successful completion of the course requires attendance at an Applied Learning Day to demonstrate select clinical skills. Applied Learning Days are offered approximately one day per month at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. The dates are prescheduled. Alternatively, students can make arrangements with a WOCNCB certified wound care nurse in their area who has been approved by the WOCN Society to serve as a WTA Clinical Instructor. Please confirm your plans for the Applied Learning Day prior to enrollment. Contact Janet Ramundo at jramund@emory.edu for further details.

Target Audience

• Licensed health care providers
• LPN’s/LVN’s
• Non-baccalaureate RN’s
• Baccalaureate or Master’s prepared RN’s who do not wish to specialize but want adequate knowledge in wound care
• Physical Therapists and PTA's
• Physicians and other clinicians who want adequate knowledge in wound care
• Military medics (active duty), certified first responders and corpsmen

Contact Hours

The WOCN Society is an accredited provider of CNEs through the ANCC. Any licensed nurse is eligible and will receive 32.25 contact hours upon successful completion of the Program.

The WTA program has been approved by Federation of State Board Physical Therapy (FSBPT): ProCert to award PTs and PTAs 21.0 Continuing Competence Units (CCUs).

All other participants will obtain a certificate upon successful completion of the Program.

Ostomy Care Associate

Acknowledging the ever growing demand for wound care services in all health care settings, the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses (WOCN) Society developed the Ostomy Care Associate (OCA) Program to:

1. Educate and prepare more skilled ostomy care providers across all health care settings.
2. Enhance nurses’ ability to provide optimal care for patients with ostomies.
3. Equip the non-specialty nurse with the ability to provide optimal care for patients with ostomies under the direction of a supervising WOC specialty nurse (i.e., WOC registered nurse, WOC graduate-level prepared registered nurse, WOC advanced practice registered nurse); a physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner; or a clinical nurse specialist (experienced in ostomy care).

Mandatory Applied Learning Day

The OCA course must be completed in 12 weeks. Successful completion of the course requires attendance at an Applied Learning Day to demonstrate select clinical skills. Applied Learning Days are offered approximately one day per month at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. The dates are prescheduled. Alternatively, students can make arrangement with a WOCNCB certified ostomy care nurse in their area who has been approved by the WOCN Society to serve as an OCA Clinical Instructor. Please confirm your plans for the Applied Learning Day prior to enrollment. Contact Lori Borja at lborja@emory.edu for further details.

Target Audience

• Licensed health care providers:
• LPN/LVNs.
• Non baccalaureate RNs.
• Baccalaureate or Master’s prepared RNs who do not wish to specialize but want more knowledge in ostomy care.
• Physicians and other licensed clinicians who want adequate knowledge in ostomy care.

Contact Hours

The WOCN Society is an accredited provider of CNEs through the ANCC. Any licensed nurse is eligible and will receive 27 contact hours upon successful completion of the Program.

All other participants will obtain a certificate upon successful completion of the Program.