FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WTA PROGRAM

Acknowledging the ever growing demand for wound care services in all health care settings, the WOCN Society developed the WTA Program to:

• Educate and prepare more skilled wound care providers across settings, including the military services.
• 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-WOC certified nurse the ability to optimally care for the patient with chronic or acute wounds under the direction of the WOC specialty nurse, WOC APRN nurse, or physician.

Benefits of the WTA Program include:

• Content of this program provides clear discussion of role limitations and importance of CWCN consultation for complex or non-responsive wounds.
• Pricing is designed to provide affordable wound care education.
• The program was developed and presented by internationally-recognized leaders and educators in wound management and prevention practices.
• Unlike other wound education courses, the WTA Program requires comprehensive hands-on training and testing.
• The WTA Program is an evidence-based continuing education course that meets international standards of care and prepares participants for the WTA-C certification.
• Graduates of the WTA Program are eligible to become WTA-C certified. This certification is offered through the WOCNCB®, a certification body nationally recognized by the ABSNC and the NCCA.
• The WOCN Society is an accredited provider of continuing nursing professional development through the ANCC.

The WTA Program is offered to non-BSN, LPN/LVNs and medics, but attendance is not limited to those levels of practice.  The WTA Program would be an excellent program for SWAT, PU/IP, and Skin Resource teams.The target audience for the WTA Program includes:

• Licensed health care providers (LPN/LVNs; non baccalaureate RNs; and/or baccalaureate or Master’s prepared RNs who do not wish to specialize but want more knowledge in wound care).
• Military medics/corpsmen (Active duty).
• Other clinicians who want more wound care knowledge.

Note: Continuing Education (CE) Contact Hours provided only for nurses.  All other attendees will obtain a certificate of completion upon successful completion of the program.

Below are short videos previews of three WTA Program modules. These videos provide an example of the video format and the presentation style.

WTA Module 1

WTA Module 10

Participants will be able to demonstrate competency in the following skills:

• Performing risk assessment
• Pressure injury prevention
• Basic management of incontinence associated dermatitis and skin tears
• Documentation of wound status
• Application of a compression wrap
• Measuring an ankle brachial index (ABI)
• Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT).
• Wound Identification
• Using the Braden Scale for predicting pressue injury risk effectively

Supplemental materials such as dressing samples, compression wraps, ABI equipment, NPWT equipment, etc., will be the responsibility of the individual course coordinator/facility to arrange and provide.

There is no conflict of practice or purpose.

In 2017, the WOCN Society updated and disseminated a position statement about the “Role and Scope of Practice for Wound Care Providers” that defined the roles of the WOC advanced practice registered nurse, WOC specialty nurse and the wound treatment associate. The position statement clearly identifies that wound treatment associates are prepared to function under the supervision of a WOC advanced practice registered nurse, a WOC specialty nurse or physician. By clearly defining the roles and through marketing efforts, the intent is to strengthen the position of WOC specialty nurses as the expert, capable of directing bedside care associates to improve patient outcomes.

WOC nurses are “specialty” nurses as recognized by the American Nurses Association who are prepared as experts and leaders by virtue of RN licensure, minimum BS degree, education from a WOCN Society accredited program and/or certification from the WOCNCB. Wound treatment associates will not be prepared to serve as leaders but to function as integral members of the wound care team to support and extend the role of the WOC specialty nurse.

The following criteria apply to course coordinators:

• Must be an active member of the WOCN Society.
• Must be certified by WOCNCB as CWCN, CWON, or CWOCN.
• Clinical experience/expertise in the following areas: risk assessment, pressure injury prevention, wound management, differential assessment and management lower limb ulcers, ankle brachial index measurement, sensory testing with Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments, 4-layer compression wraps, and Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) wound identification; and using the Braden Scale for predicting pressure injury risk effectively
• Strong interpersonal skills.

Additional criteria for course coordinators include:

• The online course coordinator must have experience/expertise in small group work and instruction such as planning/presenting in-services, new staff orientation and precepting/mentoring students.
• The onsite faculty must have experience/expertise in public speaking/presentations at a regional/national level, as well as experience/expertise in small group work and instruction.

Click here for more information and to apply.

WTA Course Coordinators can earn PGP points under the “Teaching” category. Points allocated for the WTA Program reflect the need for personal preparation in order to answer learner questions and be prepared for interactive online discussions. You cannot claim PGP points for the independent development of learning materials and content.

For more information, including how to properly document your involvement with the WTA program, as Course Coordinator, how many and what types of hours are eligible, etc., please contact the WOCNCB.

The WOCN® Society’s Wound Treatment Associate (WTA®) Program is not a certification. It is a continuing education program, upon completion of which participants receive a certificate of completion with contact hours. Wound Treatment Associate is a role. This acronym cannot be used as a credential, unless an individual is WTA-C certified through Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB®). Examples of proper and improper use are provided below:

Improper Use: Susan Smith, WTA
Proper Use: Susan Smith
Wound Treatment Associate

Individuals interested in obtaining WTA-C certification must do so through WOCNCB by visiting their website.

Please be advised that the WOCN Society and WOCNCB are two separate entities. If you have questions about certification, please visit the WOCN Certification Board’s website at www.wocncb.org or via email at info@wocncb.org.

Yes, however WTA-C certification is not a requirement.  Depending on the organization/agency, WTA-C certification is preferred and may be required.  The WTA-C certification credential launched in the Fall 2015 and represents a critical stage in the evolution of wound care. Voluntarily applying for certification is another step in the process of ensuring the delivery of consistent quality care and would be the choice of the WTA graduate.

Click here for more information about the WTA-C certification.

While the WTA course is not accredited through AANP, it is accredited through AANC, and ANCC allows nurses to self-designate advance practice credits. This means that a nurse can decide if the education she/he is about to receive is considered advanced practice based on the nurse’s current scope of practice, education level, experience, etc. In other words, those who are taking the WTA program could claim AP credits for the program, since knowledge gained by attending these programs is of higher level and can be considered advanced practice.