Whether you are looking to increase your wound care nutrition knowledge or advance your career, a new wound care certification course for Registered Dietitians (RD) and Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) will help you meet your goals, while improving outcomes for your wound care patients.

I often get funny reactions when I tell people I specialize in wounds. Lay people always assume I mean bullet wounds. I notice them nodding with confusion when I go on to explain that I do not see many bullet wounds, but treat plenty of pressure injuries and diabetic foot ulcers.

When I have the same conversation with nurses, patient care assistants, and other healthcare providers who do not specialize in wounds, they seem to nod with a similar amount of confusion. They immediately think of topical care and turning and repositioning—all important to wound healing—but they overlook the fact that in order to build new tissue it is necessary to have adequate nutritional substrate onboard.

Clearing up this confusion is one of the reasons I am so excited to share the new nutrition certification available from the National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy® (NAWCO®). Hopefully every skin and wound care team will soon have a certified nutrition member to help heal wounds from the inside out!

Introducing the NWCC Credential for RDs and RDNs

NAWCO’s new Nutrition Wound Care Certified (NWCC) credential will give you more than just a few more letters after your name. By completing the approved wound care certification course through Wound Care Education Institute® (WCEI®), you’ll also receive the latest nutrition information to help you improve the healing and lives of your patients. And if you are looking to advance your career, wound care training and certification provide the clinical knowledge to help others see you as the expert in the area of nutrition as it relates to wound healing. Yes, both you and your patients will benefit from this certification.

The Benefits of Nutrition Wound Care Certification

This nutrition certification program will benefit you, your patients, your wound care team, and your facility. Becoming a more valuable wound care nutrition expert has many benefits for your professional development and patient outcomes. Certification also lends credibility if you ever are involved in a lawsuit, and as you know, wound lawsuits are plentiful.

NWCC certification confirms your nutrition knowledge, skills, and abilities in wound care, based on predetermined standards. When facilities are looking to hire or promote, education is an important determining factor, which is why certification in your field is important. Certification recognizes your commitment to keeping current with the latest information, developments, and research to improve your professional abilities and clinical judgment.

In summary, this learning and skill development will help you:

  • Expand your career opportunities or advance in your current position
  • Improve outcomes for your wound care patients
  • Expand your wound care nutrition knowledge to improve practice capabilities
  • Build confidence in your skills
  • Understand more about the important role nutrition plays in wound healing
  • Become the wound nutrition expert at your facility
  • Show your commitment to continuing education and your professional development
  • Give you a feeling of professional accomplishment
  • Confirm your competence and capabilities to peers, patients, supervisors, management, and other healthcare professionals
  • Gain leverage for a higher salary

WCEI Skin and Wound Management Course Content

Wound Care Education Institute’s Skin and Wound Management course for dietitians covers topics such as:

  • The role of nutrition in wound healing:
    • Malnutrition or nutrition deficiencies
    • Macronutrients and micronutrients
  • Identification of malnutrition
  • Effect of wounds on nutritional status:
    • Hypermetabolism
    • Catabolism
  • Nutrition screening and assessment
  • Standard of care for pressure injury prevention and treatment
  • Nutritional needs for wound healing in the presence of comorbidities/specific situations:
    • Obesity
    • Diabetes
    • Chronic kidney disease
    • End of life
    • Tube feeding/enteral nutrition
  • Individualized nutrition care based on patient needs/restrictions
  • Appetite stimulant medications
  • And much, much more

To learn more about the Wound Care Education Institute’s NWCC course for dietitians, click here. Join this group of certified wound care nutrition professionals and make a difference in your career and your patients’ lives. Get started on earning your NWCC designation today!

Reference

Shadix CK, Bell-Wilson JA. Finding your niche—certification options for the RD. Today’s Dietitian website. Today’s Dietitian. 2007;9(3):40. https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/tdmar2007pg40.shtml. Accessed January 29, 2018.

Wound Care Education Institute® provides online and onsite courses in Skin, WoundDiabetic and Ostomy Management. Eligible clinicians may sit for the prestigious WCC®, DWC®,  OMS, and NWCC national board certification exams through the National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy®(NAWCO®). For details, see wcei.net.

Nancy Collins, PhD, RDN, LD, NWCC, FAND

Nancy Collins, PhD, RDN, LD, NWCC, FAND, is a wound care-certified, registered dietitian nutritionist with expertise in wound care, malnutrition and medico-legal issues. She strives to improve patient outcomes and patient satisfaction through better communication. Learn more about her at www.drnancycollins.com.

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