News You Can Use
What‘s New?
Call for Nominations! You can make a difference.
Volunteer Board participation is a great way for you to contribute to the WOC specialty while you enhance your personal and professional growth. Service on the Board also extends your Certification expiration date and earns points toward PGP recertification. Click here for more information and to access the interactive nomination form.
NEW! Advanced Practice Committee
The Advanced Practice Committee consists of six advance practice (AP) nurses who are involved in ongoing evaluation of the process and specifications for recertification by the AP pathway. The committee also reviews AP applications and collaborates with the PGP Committee on review and revision of the AP Portfolio Handbook. Members serve for a term of four years. Business is conducted by conference call and e-mail and could include up to two face-to-face meetings annually.
Attention Foot Care Nurses! NEW! A Professional Growth Program (PGP) specifically for CFCNs! Now you have two choices for CFCN® recertification - examination or the new Professional Growth Program. Click here for more information about the CFCN PGP process.
Do You Tweet? Follow us at www.Twitter.com/WOCNCB. For those of you new to Twitter and social networking, Twitter.com is a free mini Web site that asks the question "What are you doing?" Learn more at www.Twitter.com.
Call for Articles!
Certifications e-News is looking for articles about how your value as Board certified in wound, ostomy, continence, or foot care benefits regulators at the federal, state, or local level.
Tell us about how Board certification has brought value to payers such as CMS, insurance companies, or other health care management organizations.
And remember - publishing a article in the Certification e-News is a great way to earn PGP points!
Contact MarketingManager@wocncb.org.
FAQs
Experiential Pathway
Q: I received the information regarding the Experiential Pathway requirements. Is this a method for recertification only?
A: No. The Experiential Pathway is a method for initial certification by Bachelor-prepared RNs who are not graduates of a formal WOC Education Program. However, starting on February 1, 2010 if your credentials have lapsed for more than a two-year period and you seek recertification, you must use the Experiential Pathway to demonstrate your eligibility to sit for the recertification exams even though you are a program graduate.
Professional Growth Programs - WOC and Foot Care PGP
Q: If I developed an education program and then did the presentation, can I claim both as activities for PGP points?
A: Yes. You may use the teaching category and claim these as two separate activities. When you submit the PGP portfolio, using the verification forms, fill out a separate sheet describing how you developed the program - how you derived the content and objectives, what background work you did. Use a separate verification sheet describing the session content and objectives.
Q: I write articles for my facility newsletter. Can this be used in my portfolio?
A: Yes. If you contribute articles in your facility newsletter relating to the WOC Nursing specialty, this is worth points in your portfolio.
Q: I developed a brochure for my patients describing how to change their ostomy pouch. Is this valuable for my PGP portfolio?
A: Yes. Developing a patient education tool is one of the activities worth PGP points as described in the PGP Handbook.
Q: I am assembling my CE credits and am having trouble finding some of the CE certificates. Do you require that I submit copies of the CE certificates?
A: No. The copies of the CE certificates are not required unless you are notified of a random audit of your portfolio. However, we recommend that you keep an organizational file with hard copies of your earned CE certificates and attach a list of all the CEs you have received to the front of the file. This is an easy way for you to organize for your next recertification period. Another helpful tip: Providers of CE credits are required to keep records of attendees, sessions and their value, so also keep their contact information if you should need to get copies of your CE certificates in the future.
Download a free copy of the WOC PGP handbook.
Download a free copy of the complete Foot Care PGP handbook.
NOTE: There are more online resources to guide you through the PGP process. Click on any of these helpful tools to get started:
Looking for the WOCNCB? We're Easy to Find!
See our ad promoting the Certified Foot Care Nurse credential in the March 2009 Wound Supplement of The Diabetes Educator.
Visit Booth # 131 at the 2009 AONE Annual Meeting and Exposition, April 15 - 19, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas. See you there! Yee Haw!
Read an interview with WOCNCB Board President, Patti Gable Burke, who promotes Board certification in an article on NurseConnect.com. You might have to register to read it, and registration is free. NurseConnect.com is a great place to find former colleagues, meet up with nurses online, rate and review hospitals, get career advice and so much more. Visit today!
Learn and share the latest evidence-based information about UTI prevention. WOCNCB Board member Donna Thompson, MSN, CRNP, BC, CCCN® was one of six contributors to a three-part article published in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing. See the January/February 2009 issue for Part 1 of this valuable series. WOCN Society members can access the article online at the Member Center.
Plan to meet us at the WOCN Society Annual Conference, June 6 - 10, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Watch for a special supplement on Evidence-Based Practice in the July/August 2009 issue of the Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing.
Wondering When?
We've made it easy for you to keep current on all those important deadlines.
When does my certification expire? Click here to find out.
When do I have to apply and test? Here's the Quarterly Examination Schedule.
| If your Certification expires on this date, you must meet all deadlines to avoid lapsing. | Your application postmark deadline |
Your late application postmark deadline |
Your quarterly testing cycle |
Your Certificate mail-out date (approximate) |
| March 31 | November 15 | December 15 | January 1 - March 31 | April 30 |
| June 30 | February 15 | March 15 | April 1 - June 30 | July 31 |
| September 30 | May 15 | June 15 | July 1 - September 30 | October 31 |
| December 31 | August 15 | September 15 | October 1 - December 23 | January 31 |
Note: Late applications will be accepted if postmarked 30 days after the application postmark deadline listed in the chart above. A late fee of $75.00 will be charged and must be included with your payment.
Need help? Contact info@WOCNCB.org
