Wound Care Certification Study Guide

Certification in wound care is formal recognition of a master level of knowledge. It is a way to increase one s professional image, and give both patients and colleagues the confidence that the clinician providing wound care has the expertise to do so. Since the inception of certification in wound care, clinicians have asked, What is the best way to prepare for the certification examination? The proliferation of high quality textbooks is evidence of the maturation of the field, but further challenges the process of identifying the core information one needs to master. Certification identifies a clinician as an expert and implies special knowledge beyond that of the average practitioner. In the years to come, the science of wound healing will advance in previously undreamed of directions, but all future knowledge will still be built on the basic information in this book. The goal of this text is to help you master the foundational information upon which you may develop your career as a wound expert.

With the assistance of Dr. Jayesh Shah and wound care consultants Dr. Diane L. Krasner and Deborah A. Sheffield, our first Review Course for Wound Care Certification was conducted in 2006. As the primary instructor in the course, Dr. Shah recognized the need for a study guide to help candidates prepare for the various wound specialty certification examinations. The authors of these chapters were chosen because they are wound experts, certified in wound care, and/or instructors of key elements in wound management.

This study guide focuses on key information that the various wound care certifying agencies consider important in their examinations. It is assembled in a format that makes it easy for the candidate to review the topics and identify areas of strength and areas that need further study. The information is organized by key study points that do not include much of the detailed information. The reader will find more details and additional study questions in our Wound Care Practice, 2nd Edition (Best Publishing Company, 2007).

Paul J. Sheffield, PhD, Co-Editor Caroline E. Fife, MD, Co-Editor