|
A
Joint Communiqué from the CAWC and the CAET on Canadian Wound Care
Certification
Canadian Wound Care Certification
Membership concerns are very important to the Canadian Association of
Wound Care, and every year during the annual conference the four foundational
committees (education, clinical practice, policy and research) discuss
issues that are facing the membership. In 2004 the biggest issue identified
by membership in the Education Forum was Canadian standards for wound
care educational programs and certification.
This has become a particularly
pressing issue recently because of the presence of individuals and organizations
claiming to offer certification, when, in fact, any certification they
give has no general application in Canadian health-care settings. For
example, wound-care certification programs imported from or delivered
in other countries do not provide the same standard of education that
is available in Canada and are not approved or recognized by the Canadian
Nurses Association.
In response to our membership’s
concerns, the CAWC has worked with the Canadian Association for Enterostomal
Therapy (CAET) to provide the Canadian Wound Care Certification Position
Paper.
Definitions:
Accreditation refers to a process whereby a professional or educational
organization reviews an educational program and determines that the program
meets its educational standards. The organization, through accreditation
recommends these programs to its members as suitable for their continued
education.
Certification is a process in which a professional or educational
organization administers a testing process to determine if applicants
meet a standard of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Through certification
an organization informs the public that an individual meets its competency
standards in the designated field of practice.
Rationale:
- Wound care clinicians are
seeking wound care certification.
- Clinicians want to be identified
as having met rigorous academic and clinical requirements to achieve
a recognized standard in wound care practice.
- Wound care clinicians demand
educational programs which are based in the principles of adult education
and life-long learning, and which promote the ongoing integration of
knowledge and skills into practice.
- While universities and community
colleges in Canada do provide recognized diploma courses in wound care,
to date there is no approved certification program related to wound
care.
- Wound care certification
programs imported from other countries do not provide the same standard
of education that is available in Canada and are not approved or recognized
by the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA).
- Wound care certification
programs offered outside of Canada pose potential financial limitations
to Canadian clinicians and the cost of recertification may prove to
be cost prohibitive in future
- Wound care certification
programs offered by venues outside of Canada do not guarantee reciprocity
with respect to acknowledging and/or practicing in the Canadian Health
Care System
Initiative:
The Canadian Association of Wound Care (CAWC) in collaboration with the
Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy (CAET) is developing a strategic
plan in conjunction with other Canadian professional bodies towards the
formation of recognized wound care certification in Canada.
Position Statement:
The Canadian Association of Wound Care (CAWC) and the Canadian Association
for Enterostomal Therapy CAET) support the development of a Canadian wound
care certification program through the appropriate professional channels.
The CAWC and CAET believe that Canadian wound care certification is best
supported through the development of wound related knowledge, skills,
and attitudes in Canadian educational, competency-based programs. The
CAWC and CAET urge wound care clinicians to carefully examine wound care
educational programs that purport to offer wound care certification to
determine if they meet rigorous Canadian educational standards.
For more information, please
contact: Heather Orsted via e-mail at hlorsted@shaw.ca.
|
