Wound Treatment Associate Program

Through the convenience of online learning, the WTA Program will help you with daily patient monitoring, pressure ulcer prevention, and basic wound management to improve outcomes for patients.

Improve patient outcomes, become a Wound Care Associate.

The Wound Treatment Associate Program is a Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse (WOCN) Society-endorsed educational program geared toward non-specialty licensed nurses. Learn the important skills of daily patient monitoring, pressure ulcer prevention, and basic wound management to improve your patient outcomes. 

This is a 12-week online course, with a post-program virtual skills check. You can complete the online portion at your own pace, however, it must be completed within three months. In addition to the narrated PowerPoint, your instructor will be available to answer any questions you may have.

After completing the lessons, participants will take a virtual clinical skills competency test. 

Major topics covered by the WTA program include:

• A&P of Skin and Soft Tissue: Implications for Routine Care
• Skin and Tissue Loss Caused by External Factors
• Establishing Protocols for Prevention
• Legal and Regulatory Issues
• Physiology of Wound Healing
• Systemic Factors Affecting Repair
• Wound Assessment and Documentation
• Guidelines for Topical Therapy Assessment and Management of Refractory Wounds
• Management of Arterial/Ischemic Ulcers
• Management of Venous Ulcers
• Prevention and Management of Neuropathic Ulcers

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Will I be a certified wound care nurse once I’ve completed this course?
   No. The Wound Treatment Associate program provides comprehensive base-level knowledge about wound care so that you can become an integral member of the wound care team.  
   
   
2. What is the Wound Treatment Associate-C Certification?
   Once you’ve completed the Wound Treatment Associate Course, you can go on to seek certification as a WTA-C if you so choose. If interested in a certification visit: http://www.wocncb.org/certification/wound-treatment-associate

Who should attend

This course is designed for the registered nurse, licensed practical/vocational nurse or military medic/corpsman, physical therapist, physical therapist assistants, or any health care provider who may benefit from this comprehensive certificate program.

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  Dr. Laura Kenney is an Adult Nurse Practitioner who is a Board Certified Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nurse, as well as a Certified Foot and Nail Care Specialist. She has extensive knowledge and background in working with complex wounds, including enterocutaneous fistula management, chronic venous stasis ulcers, arterial ulcers, traumatic wounds, and diabetic foot ulcers. She draws her experience from previous work in a Level 1 Trauma Hospital where she helped create a Wound Program with core training in pressure ulcer prevention, assessment, and treatment. She also assisted in the creation of the facility's Ostomy Program which provides education, management, and support for patients and families with colostomies, ileostomies and urostomies. She currently works at the HealthEast Vascular Clinic and treats a myriad of wounds and skin conditions with primary focus on venous stasis ulcers and edema control. Dr. Kenney has been a CWOCN since 2008. She earned her undergraduate, Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice Degrees all at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Her graduate school research focused on the prevention of pressure ulcer development on prolonged surgical spinal cases in the operating room by utilizing a prophylactic bordered silicone foam dressing. She was previously a pressure ulcer advisory group member for the Minnesota Hospital Association's SAFE SKIN collaborative which involves over 100 Minnesota Hospitals. Dr. Kenney's publications and presentations include Minnesota Health Care News, May 2012; Pressure Ulcer Prevention Tips, p. 14-17; Strategies in Primary Care Medicine Conference; Skin Deep: Nuts and Bolts of Wound care; Minnesota Hospital Association, SAFE SKIN Patient and family education video; Minnesota Hospital Association, SAFE SKIN Virtual Conference, Presenter on the Skin Wound Action Team. She was also nominated for Innovation of the Year Award in 2012 for pressure ulcer prevention.