W TA A D V I S O R Y COMMITTEE
WOC Nurse and WTA — What’s the Connection? J A N E T R A MU N D O, B S N , MS, C WO C N, A PRN, RN
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s an instructor with Emory University’s WOC Nursing Education Program (WOCNEP) accredited by the WOCN® Society, I knew that our program received frequent inquiries about providing wound care education to nurses “who didn’t want to be WOC nurses”. Nursing leaders recognized the need for continuing education in wound care to assist with the assessment and treatment of wounds, as well as engaging in risk assessment and prevention of pressure injuries. Having knowledge of the strong evidence base for WOC nursing practice led visionary members of the WOCN Society to develop the Wound Treatment Associate (WTA) Program.
in the WTA role, WOC specialty nurse, the WOC graduate level prepared nurse and WOC Advanced Practice Nurse. The WTAAC, with assistance from the Society’s national staff members, worked hard to capture the differences in practice and level of autonomy. It is our hope that this document, along with the WTA Outcomes Infographic (view on next page), will show the value of the Program to key users, such as Nursing Leadership and Wound Care Directors. Another purpose of the role delineation document is to assist the WOC nurse in utilization of the WTA nurse in various practice settings. “We use the WTAs to augment the wound care programs that are directed by the WOC Nurse. Since the number of WOC nurses are fewer per site, the WTAs play a pivotal role in assisting with treatment application, skin inspections on admission and throughout stay, and implement additional prevention interventions,” said Angel Sutton, a member of the WTAAC, who has provided WTA education to hundreds of nurses in longterm care across the country. Angel added: “The WOC nurse is able to commit more time then to assessments, documentation, performance improvement projects and budget management. The addition of WTAs just adds more players to the wound team.” Sheila Guither, CWOCN, and Manager of Clinical Practice and Staff Development, stated: “In our world of home care, WTAs allow WOC nurses to extend their reach without increasing travel and time. WOC nurses, which are a scarce resource, utilize WTA expertise to be a trusted, knowledgeable pair of ‘eyes’ in the field.”
After completing the Program, the WTA educated licensed healthcare provider acts as a “WOC Nurse Extender,” with the idea that this person will work under the direction of a WOC specialty nurse following evidence-based international standards of care. The Program has been well received, with close to 6,400 graduates as of 2018. WTA educated professionals work in acute care, home health care, outpatient setting and long-term care. Despite the acceptance and utilization of the WTA Program, confusion persists. Members of the WTA Advisory Committee (WTAAC) are often contacted with questions about what the WTA can do and how this Program was different from the WOC nursing specialty practice. In response to this, the WTAAC developed the Complete Guide to Role Delineation Among WOCNCB® Certified Wound Care Providers. This one-page document, based on the Society’s WOC Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, 2nd Edition, helps to show the differences in the various roles. The document discusses the differences 7 IN IT FOR YOU
Jenna DeLegge, CWOCN, and WTA/OCA Course Coordinator at the same agency, had this to say when asked if some WOC nurses ®
ISSUE 8, SUMMER 2019
