Q1. What is Wounds Australia credentialing?
Wounds Australia credentialing establishes a national
standard for practice in wounds management. It is:
- the process by which an
individual health professional is recognised as having met the established
professional standards determined by Wound Australia.
- a voluntary self-regulation
process that validates the achievement of having met the standards through
education, professional development, and practice over a period of time.
Health professionals who are awarded a Wounds Australia
credential will be able to demonstrate to employers, professional colleagues,
consumers, and carers that they have achieved the professional standard for
practice in wound care.
Q2. What are the benefits of being a Wounds Australia
credentialed professional in wound management?
The Wounds Australia credentialing program benefits include:
-
Wounds Australia recognition of your professional knowledge, experience, and scope of practice in wound management
-
A wound management credential awarded by the peak professional body which is a nationally recognised standard
-
Promotion of your enhanced credibility and guidance in wound management across a range of patient management situations
-
Patient confidence in a safe wound management experience provided by a Wounds Australia credentialed health professional
-
Contribution to improvements in clinical governance and patient outcomes with economic effects
The Wounds Australia Standards for Wound Prevention and Management(3e, 2016) underpin the expectations of practice of health professionals who are awarded a credential.
Q3. What are the Wounds Australia credentials available?
In recognition of the diversity of wound management professionals, there are two categories of Wounds Australia credentials:
The Wounds Australia Credentialed Wound Professional (WA-CWP)
- demonstrates an ongoing commitment to evidence-based practice and the development of wound management in accordance with Wounds Australia standards;
- is a clinical health practitioner in any setting where there are patients requiring wound management; and,
- works in collaboration with or liaises with other experienced health practitioners regarding wound management, mentoring, and ongoing education.
The Wounds Australia Credentialed Advanced Wound Professional (WA-CAWP)
- demonstrates an ongoing commitment to evidence-based practice and leading the development of wound management in accordance with Wounds Australia standards;
- is a health practitioner whose focus of practice is primarily wound management and advice; and,
- may contribute to wound management development through a range of leadership actions such as participation in Wounds Australia projects, advocacy, the education of others, contribution to policy and related health decision making, and research.
Q4. Who can apply for a Wounds Australia credential?
Wounds Australia credentialed wound management professionals must be health professionals registered to practice under national law by an Australian or New Zealand health practitioner regulation authority. For example:
- In Australia –Podiatry Board, Nurses and Midwives Board, Pharmacy Board, Medical Board Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board; and,
- In New Zealand – Podiatrists Board, New Zealand Nursing Council, Pharmacy Council, Medical Council.
If you are not currently registered to practice as one of the health professionals above, you cannot apply to become credentialed until you are registered.
In addition, you must become a member of Wounds Australia if you are not one already and hold relevant educational qualifications.
Q5. I am an Enrolled Nurse, am I eligible to apply to be
credentialed?
Yes, you can apply if you are currently registered to practice
nursing by a relevant authority with no limitations on your practice and can
provide all the relevant information and documentation requested according to
the criteria.
Q6. I work in wound management in New Zealand can I be
credentialed?
You can apply for Wounds Australia credentialing if you meet
the eligibility criteria.
Q7. What is involved in becoming credentialed?
There are criteria that have been determined to reflect the
standards and which need to be demonstrated in an application. This includes
providing documentation as evidence that each criterion has been met. Once the
application is submitted, it will be assessed by Wounds Australia assessors who
are credentialed.
The application process is straight forward. It involves
submitting all documentation through the Wounds Australia Credentialing Program
online portal. There are guidelines to help you and support from the Wounds
Australia office.