As the premier program offering basic wound care education, the WOCN® Society strives to ensure that the WTA Program remains accurate, relevant, and current. Periodic reviews of the content are conducted to ensure this, and our most recent review of content has led the Society to implement some exciting new enhancements! Effective as of today, October 1, 2019, the following changes have been made to the WTA Program:
Additional Clinical Skill Competencies
In order to appeal to a greater audience across multiple practice settings, a critical change was made to the clinical skill competencies portion of the WTA Program. Previously, all program participants had to successfully complete all four clinical skill competencies. Now, Course Coordinators will be offered a suite of six clinical skill competencies to choose from and tailor based on their students’ specific practice settings. This exciting enhancement will ensure that these crucial WOC nurse extenders are able to learn and test skills that directly relate to their practice setting, while improving their professional practice and ultimately enhancing patient outcomes.
Increased Continuing Education Contact Hours
Following a careful review of WTA Program content, supporting materials and feedback from participants and Course Coordinators, the decision was made to increase the number of ANCC-accredited contact hours from 24 to 32.25.
Updated Terminology Added to Applicable Program Modules
Based on the need to provide the most up-to-date, evidence-based education, some minor edits were made to WTA Program education modules and resources to accurate reflect changes to terminology. These changes include updated terminology for support surfaces and pressure injuries.
About the WTA Program
Acknowledging the ever growing demand for wound care services in all health care settings, the WOCN Society developed this continuing educational program to:
- Educate and prepare more skilled wound care providers across settings, including the military.
- Enhance nurses’ ability to provide optimal care for patients with acute and chronic wounds as members of a collaborative wound care team.
- 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.
Want to learn more about the WTA Program? Listen to the WOCN Society’s latest WOCTalk podcast episode: The Premier Program for Basic Wound Care Education.