The Certification Examination

CASTLE now WOCNCB Examination Provider As of October 1, 2011, a new provider began administering certification examinations. The new examination manager, CASTLE Worldwide, Inc, stands ready to assist you with an online application and registration system. CASTLE provides over 450 examination sites in the United States and Canada and over 200 additional international sites. More information is available at www.wocncb.org. Preparing for the WOC Certification Examination Each year, the WOCN Society offers CD-ROMs of a certification review course presented at their national conference. You can buy these online at www.prolibraries.com/wocns/. NEW Online PGP for Recertification Faster, easier, and smarter way to submit your Professional Growth Portfolio for recertification in WOC. Take a test cruise at www.wocncb.org/pgp. Become a Certified Foot Care Nurse® The WOCNCB offers foot care certification to RNs. No bachelor's degree is required. Learn more at www.wocncb.org/whycfcn. Not Recertifying Due to Economic Issues? The WOCNCB created a benevolence fund in 2007 to cover examination fees in times like these. Don't let your certification lapse. [email protected]. All inquiries are treated with the utmost confidentiality. Contact the WOCNCB 1-888-496-2622 [email protected] Human nature drives us to want to succeed with any challenge. When the challenge is one of the certification examinations, you, the candidate, are not alone in your quest for success. You stand shoulder to shoulder with educators, preceptors, colleagues, and the certification board. Everyone is invested in a successful outcome, especially patients, their families, and employers. Success begins with diligent, didactic, and clinical preparation. However, even a knowledgeable candidate needs to review the basic premises of successful test taking. This is as important as reviewing the test blueprint and corresponding content. One initial strategy is to go into the examination well-rested and confident. As you work your way through the examination, carefully read each question and each of the possible answers in their entirety. Before selecting an answer, go back and ask yourself: “What is this question asking?” Also, before choosing your final answer, look for key words that are clues. The question could be asking you to identify the “first” or “most common” or the “best” intervention. The clues will direct you to select the final answer from a number of possible answers. Another question type that poses a challenge for some candidates is one in which each answer contains a list of several options. Each option is a mix of correct and incorrect choices. Carefully evaluate each option to identify the single option in which the list is composed of all correct choices. A common challenge after months of study and preparation is managing the overload of knowledge and information. At this point, you know far more than needed to succeed with the examination. All that knowledge can lead you to misinterpret what the question is asking or read into the question. Remember, your job is not to rewrite the question but rather to answer the question that is being asked. Remember also that the examination is an entry-level test. It covers information that the new graduate or novice candidate is expected to know. If you are recertifying, this becomes a potential problem. After 5 years of experience, your knowledge base has grown considerably and could lead you to question answers that are correct for the experience level of the novice nurse. For recertification, consider utilizing the new online Professional Growth Program to demonstrate your path from novice to expert (see the sidebar). Apply the test-taking strategies to these questions from the Wound Content Outline under sections 1A (General Principles of Assessment) and 1B (General Principles of Management). Again, relax, take a deep breath, and read the entire question and possible answers. Ask yourself what the question is really asking and then select the best answer. You picked when to take the examination. You controlled your study schedule. You have done the self-assessment examinations and appropriate reviews. You are ready. Relax and know that you are prepared. Believe in your success! Regarding general principles of Wound Management, which is the priority intervention for the wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nurse? Maintain physiologic wound environment Control or eliminate causative factors Provide systemic support to reduce cofactors Provide interventions to promote bacterial balance A hydrocolloid dressing is contraindicated for which type of wound? Pressure ulcer Venous stasis ulcer Third-degree burn Arterial wound A septic patient has been admitted to the ICU (intensive care unit). The ICU reports to the WOC nurse that the patient has an infected full-thickness sacral pressure ulcer with a large amount of loose necrotic slough. What would be the best type of debridement to recommend? Enzymatic Conservative sharp Mechanical Autolytic Question 1: The correct answer is b. Control or eliminate causative factors. References Bryant R, Nix D. Acute and Chronic Wounds-Current Management Concepts. 3rd ed. St Louis, MO: Mosby; 2007: 392–394. Question 2: The correct answer is c. Third-degree burn. Reference Bryant R, Nix D. Acute and Chronic Wounds-Current Management Concepts. 3rd ed. St Louis, MO: Mosby; 2007:431. Question 3: The correct answer is b. Conservative sharp. Reference Bryant R, Nix D. Acute and Chronic Wounds-Current Management Concepts. 3rd ed. St Louis, MO: Mosby; 2007:181–186.

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