IN THIS ISSUE: What's New | Helping Hands | Did You Know? | Save the Date

President's Message

I want to wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year. I am very excited to begin my term as the new president of the Wound Ostomy Continence Nursing Certification Board WOCNCB®. My service with the WOCNCB® started in 2012 as a Marketing Committee member and as a Board member in 2017.

This year, I am thrilled to welcome Alex Aningalan and Laura Swoboda to the Board of Directors. Alex will join the Marketing Committee as the new Liaison. Laura will be our new Exam Preparation Committee Liaison. Both bring a breadth of knowledge to our board and will be dynamic leaders of these busy committees.

In addition to welcoming our newest Board members, I want to thank all Board and Committee members whose terms have come to an end in December. Your time and hard work have been valued in growing our certifications. Our outgoing Board members include Melayne P. Martin and Shawn Meadows. I would also like to provide a special thank you to Michael Kingan for his service as President.

During my time on the Marketing Committee, I have learned so much about our certifications and the value it brings. A large part of the role of our Marketing Committee is to promote the value of certification. This is done not only through showing how our exams and certifications sets the gold standard, but also through celebrating and sharing your accomplishments. If you have achieved a milestone in your professional development such as getting certified, a new publication, or presenting a poster at a conference, let the WOCNCB® celebrate with you and share this with others. Photos of your accomplishment can be sent to info@wocncb.org.

We also celebrate employers who value WOCNCB® certifications each year with the Employer Award. If you believe your employer stands out in supporting nursing certification, please consider nominating them.

Over this past year, we started to gather in person. The excitement of seeing each other at the Annual Fall Meeting in New Orleans was palpable! Toward the end of the year, some conferences were held live allowing us to exhibit and once again, to meet with our certified nurses. While we still are encountering unpredictable times, my hope is for us to continue to come together when we have the opportunities.

Warm regards,

Jessica Simmons, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CWON, DNC
WOCNCB® President

What‘s New?

In Person Meetings in New Orleans!

In November, the WOCNCB Board of Directors and many committees met in-person for the first time since 2019 in New Orleans, Louisana. Above from left to right : Jonathan F. Smith, Clay Collins, Melayne P. Martin, Linda McKenna, Holly Hovan, Shawn Meadows, Cathy Wogamon, Sarah Erslev, Michael Kingan, Laura Swoboda, Jeanine Gleba, Kathleen Kump, Jessica Simmons, Alex Aningalan. Click here for more information on the current Board of Directors.

WOCNCB® Committees Reunited!

The WOCNCB Foot Care Exam Committee.

The WOCNCB WOC Exam Committee.

The WOCNCB Marketing Committee.

The WOCNCB Professional Growth Program (PGP) Committee.

The NEW WOCNCB WTA-C Exam Committee.

Nominate Your Employer!

WOCNCB^® 2022 Employer Recognition Award

Accepting applications through February 15, 2022

The WOCNCB^® Employer Recognition Award is awarded annually to honor an organization that has demonstrated exemplary support of the certification process in WOC nursing.

To nominate your employer:

Only current WOCNCB® Certificants can nominate an organization.
The application and full details on the submission guidelines can be found on the WOCNCB® website.

Nominate your employer for the 2022 WOCNCB^® Employer Recognition Award!

Accepting nominations through February 15, 2022

Helping Hands

Thank you WOCNCB^® 2021 Volunteers!

WOCNCB^® is thankful for all those who donate their time to board or committee service. There are so many that contribute to the success of this organization. We would like to give our heartfelt thanks to those volunteers whose service ended in 2021:

Colette Allen, BSN Ed.D RN CWOCN, (South Orange, NJ), Public Policy & Advocacy, 2017 – 2021
Sarah Sloan, BSN RN CWON, (Lodi, CA), Public Policy & Advocacy, 2017 – 2021
Teresa Totino, BSN RN CWOCN, (Atlanta, GA), Public Policy & Advocacy, 2017 – 2021
Valerie Kneece Harris, BSN RN CWCN COCN CCCN, (North Charleston, SC), Public Policy & Advocacy, 2019 – 2021
Melayne P. Martin, BSN, RN, CWOCN (Coppell, TX), Board of Directors 2018 – 2021
Shawn Meadows, BSN, RN, CWON, (Nebo, NC), Board of Directors 2018 – 2021

Board Service Recognition

Above: Michael Kingan DNP, AGPNP-BC, CWOCN WOCNCB President presenting board service recognition plaques to Shawn Meadows BSN, RN, CWON and Melayne P. Martin BSN, RN, CWOCN.

Did You Know?

All WOCNCB^® official announcements are sent via email

New Year, Stay Up to Date!

Update us with your contact information in one simple step!

Remember your certifications are with WOCNCB®. Don't risk a certification lapse! All WOCNCB® official announcements are sent via e-mail only. If you have changed your e-mail address in the last 5 years, please contact the WOCNCB® office at info@wocncb.org. Help us help you to keep your contact information up-to-date to receive recertification reminders!

The WOCN Society and WOCNCB^® do not share contact databases to prevent any perceived or actual conflict of interest on the part of the certification board.

To learn more regarding the WOCN Society and the benefits of membership please visit wocn.org.

Please keep your email address Up-to-Date!

Save The Date!

CE opportunity March 2-4, 2022 Mayo Clinic Wound Symposium: The Edges of Wound Care 2022. Learn the latest diagnostic and treatment strategies for comprehensive wound management. The program is multidisciplinary with faculty representing various wound-related fields. Multiple educational formats are used, including didactic sessions, hands-on demonstrations, and case presentations that offer comprehensive wound-management strategies (from basics to high-level). Up to 21 CEs offered. Livestream attendance option available Learn more.

Look for WOCNCB^® at these upcoming 2022 conferences:

NPIAP: March 17-18 Tampa, FL Learn more to register
AONL: April 11-14 San Antonio, TX Learn more to register
WOCNext 2022: June 5-8 Fort Worth, TX Learn more to register
ANCC National Magnet/Pathway Conference: Oct 13-15 Philadelphia, PA Learn more to register