DWC® Certification

The NAWC® offers the “Diabetic Wound Care Certification Examination” to measure the academic and technical competence of eligible candidates in the area of Diabetic Wound Care Management.

Credentials

Upon successful completion of the Diabetic Wound Certification examination, candidates may use the initials DWC®, Diabetic Wound Certified, to designate their status. Credentials are awarded for a five (5) year period following obtaining a passing score on the examination. Upon expiration of credentialing term, DWCs are required to recertify with the NAWC to maintain their credentials.


Scope of Practice

The role of the DWC is based upon expert evidence based clinical knowledge and skills that are practiced in acute, outpatient, long-term care, and home care settings. The focus of the DWC is on high quality care to achieve optimum patient outcomes and cost control in diabetic wound management and prevention of complications. In order to assure appropriate and thorough diabetic wound management, a holistic comprehensive approach is utilized. All factors affecting healing, including considerations of systemic, psychosocial, and local factors are reviewed.

The DWC provides direct patient care, necessary patient education, and prevention measures through comprehensive assessment, referrals, and continuing evaluation of high risk diabetic patients and all types of diabetic wounds.

Diabetic wound management requires the skills of the interdisciplinary team that includes the DWC, physician, nurse, dietitian, physical therapist, occupational therapist, social worker, and other health care disciplines or providers depending upon each individual patient assessment.

The DWC scope of practice is performed in accordance with legislative code and scope of practice as determined by each respective professional state licensing board.

Eligibility for Certification

Candidates for the DWC Certification Examination must meet the following criteria:
  1. Hold a current, unrestricted license as an LPN/ LVN, RN, NP, PT, PTA, OT, MD, DPM, DO or PA.
  2. Successfully complete an NAWC approved Diabetic Skin and Wound Management Course. (both live instruction and online course options available)
  3. Must meet ONE of the following:
    • Currently hold an accredited certification in wound care. (WCC®, CWS®, CWCN®,CWON®,CWOCN®) OR
    • Document active involvement in the care of wound care patients, or in management, education or research directly related to wound care while actively licensed for at least two (2) years full-time/four (4) years part-time within the past five (5) years.
The DWC credential is valid for five (5) years. Examination is also available at hundreds of computer testing centers throughout the United States


NAWC Approved Diabetic Wound Management Certification Training Courses


Wound Care Education Institute
877-462-9234
www.wcei.net

WCEI offers the Diabetic Wound Management Certification training on multiple dates and various locations all around the United States. For detailed listings and application, visit www.wcei.net.

Content of Examination


The Diabetic Wound Certification examination is an objective, multiple choice test consisting of up to 110 questions with a total testing time of two (2) hours.
The questions for the Diabetic Wound Certification examination are prepared by teams of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). The examination questions are written to assess cognitive levels of knowledge, comprehension, application and analysis related to diabetic wound management.


References for Study

The following reference list may be helpful in preparing for the examination. This list does not attempt to include all the acceptable references available, nor is the examination based solely on these sources. The NAWC does not sponsor or endorse any one reference over another. Some of the references can be accessed online, while others are available at local book stores.

American Diabetes Association, “Preventive Foot Care in Diabetes” Diabetes Care 2004 27: 63-64

American Diabetes Association. Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2010, Diabetes Care, January 2010 33:S11-S61

American Diabetes Association. Consensus Development Conference on Diabetic Foot Wound Care. Diabetes Care. 1999;22(8):1354-1360.

Armstrong DG, Lavery LA (eds): Clinical Care of the Diabetic Foot. Second Edition Alexandria, VA, American Diabetes Association, 2010.

Bowker JH, Pfeifer MA, editors. Levin and O’Neals ‘The diabetic foot’. 6th edition. St Louis: CV Mosby, 2001.

Edmonds M, Foster AVM, Sanders L. A practical manual of diabetic foot care. 2nd edition. Oxford: Blackwell Science, 2008.

 International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (1999) International Consensus on the Diabetic Foot Practical Guidelines. International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Hurt. Mix, Godfrey. The Salon Professional’s Guide to Foot Care. Milady Salon Innovations Publishing. 1999.

Ousey, Karen, McIntosh, Caroline. Lower Extremity Wounds A Problem-Based Approach. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons. 2008.

Sidawy, Anton N. Diabetic foot: lower extremity arterial disease and limb salvage 1st ed. Philadelphia : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006.

Sussman, Carrie, Bates-Jensen, Barbara, Wound Care: A Collaborative Practice Manual, Third Edition, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: 2007.

Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN). Guideline for management of wounds in patients with lower-extremity neuropathic disease. Glenview (IL): Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN); 2004.

Examination Administration

The Diabetic Wound Certification Examination is sponsored by the National Alliance of Wound Care® and is developed and maintained by the independent NAWC Certification Committee.

A passing score of 70% is required to become certified. The passing score is based upon recommendations from statistical analysis performed by the testing corporation, and is set by the NAWC Certification Committee.
The DWC examination is administered at computer based testing facilities managed by PSI Computer Testing, Inc. PSI has testing sites in the United States and other countries. A listing of available testing centers with detailed maps may be viewed at PSI. Click here to view locations.
Paper and pencil administrations of this examination will be offered periodically on site at the Diabetic Wound Management Certification Training courses. For locations and information, visit www.wcei.net.

Accommodation Procedures

An applicant may request special accommodation directly through the PSI website. Please refer to the NAWC Candidate Information Bulletin available at the PSI website. click here to go to the PSI website.

Examination Results

After you finish the examination, you are asked to complete a short evaluation of your testing experience. Upon completion of the evaluation, you are instructed to report to the testing supervisor to receive your examination results. Your exam report will indicate “pass” or “fail”.

Successful candidates may begin using the “DWC ” credential immediately and will receive their DWC certification certificate via US mail within 4-6 weeks. A $15 fee will be assessed for requested duplication of credentials.

Examination Disclosure

The examination questions remain solely the property of the NAWC. These materials are confidential and are not to be shared with any person or agency for any reason.

Review of Examinations

For security reasons, examination materials are not available for review. Neither the testing corporation nor the NAWC will discuss specific questions on any of the examinations. Comments about questions should be directed in writing to the NAWC Certification Committee. The NAWC will review comments relating to the exam but will not make a written response to comments.

Confidentiality

NAWC strictly protects the security of your personal information and honors your choices for its intended use. We carefully protect your data from loss, misuse, unauthorized access or disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Though we make every effort to preserve user privacy, we may need to disclose personal information when required by law wherein we have a good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with a current judicial proceeding, a court order, or legal process. Otherwise, your personal information is never shared outside the company without your permission. Inside the company, data is stored in password-controlled servers with limited access.

Retesting Policy


Candidates who take the Diabetic Wound Certification examination and are unsuccessful may retake the examination for a total of three additional re-examination attempts within two years of the first examination date. After either four attempts or two years, whichever comes first, you would be required to wait for a period of one year prior to taking the exam again.

If you are unsuccessful in passing the examination, you will receive instructions and a re-examination application by email from the National Alliance of Wound Care®.

Candidates are encouraged to self-study or attend a diabetic wound management training course during this time. After the one year waiting period, you would be required to reapply and meet all eligibility requirements in order to retake the examination. Unsuccessful candidates are not eligible for any refunds.

Appeals

Individuals may appeal decisions regarding eligibility, examination results, and disciplinary matters made by the NAWC certification program by submitting a written letter of appeal to the NAWC Certification Committee within 30 days of the NAWC decision or action that is being appealed. Certificants may request a copy of the appeal policy by contacting the NAWC office.

Certification Certificate

The NAWC will award an official numbered certificate to all candidates upon passing the NAWC Diabetic Wound Certification examination, denoting status as DWC, Diabetic Wound Certified.

Recertification

Certification is awarded for a five (5) year period following successful passing of the examination. Upon expiration of the credentialing term, DWCs are required to recertify with the NAWC® to maintain their credentials. DWCs may recertify by examination, training, continuing education or by the Continuing Education & Outreach Program (CEOP). Details of the options will be mailed to successful candidates within one year of expiration of credential. They may also be accessed at the NAWC website: