Assessment
27%of exam
Treatment
25%of exam
DressingsDebridementInfectionAdjuncts
Re-Evaluation
16%of exam
Healing TrendPlan ChangeAdherenceEscalation
Education
7%of exam
Teach-BackCaregiver TrainingHealth LiteracyHome Safety
Administration
7%of exam
ProtocolsSuppliesDataCoordination
Legal
6%of exam
ScopeConsentPrivacyDocumentation
Risk + Prevention
12%of exam
Pressure RiskMoistureOffloadingNutrition
Quick Facts
- Exam
- WCC
- Credential
- Wound Care Certified
- Sponsor
- NAWCO
- Questions
- Up to 110
- Scored
- 100 scored
- Time
- 2 hours
- Pass
- 600 scaled
- Scale
- 100-800
- Validity
- 5 years
Measure Order
LWD keeps wound tracking consistent
LengthWidthDepth
Undermining vs Tunneling
Undermining
- Under intact edge
- Shelf-like pocket
Tunneling
- Narrow tract
- One direction
Map both by clock
Wound Driver Picker
- Over bone→Pressure(Offload first)
- Plantar callus→Diabetic(Offload foot)
- Gaiter edema→Venous(Check perfusion)
- Cool painful foot→Arterial(Vascular referral)
- Incision opens→Surgical(Notify surgeon)
- Incontinence exposure→Moisture(Barrier plan)
- Friable mass→Malignant(Palliate symptoms)
- Recent injury→Trauma(Assess depth)
Blueprint Weights
- Assessment
- 27%
- Treatment
- 25%
- Re-Evaluation
- 16%
- Prevention
- 12%
- Education
- 7%
- Administration
- 7%
- Legal
- 6%
PQRST Pain
PQRST structures pain assessment
ProvokesQualityRegionSeverityTiming
Slough vs Eschar
Slough
- Yellow moist tissue
- Often stringy
Eschar
- Black leathery tissue
- May be stable
Necrosis blocks healing
Wound Status
- Length
- Head to toe
- Width
- Side to side
- Depth
- Deepest point
- Undermining
- Under intact edge
- Tunneling
- Narrow tract
- Clocking
- Head at 12
- Epibole
- Rolled edge
- Maceration
- Moisture damage
Arterial vs Venous
Arterial
- Painful distal wound
- Cool weak pulses
Venous
- Edema gaiter wound
- Heavy drainage
Perfusion before compression
Tissue Types
- Epithelial
- New pink skin
- Granulation
- Red bumpy tissue
- Hypergranulation
- Proud friable tissue
- Slough
- Yellow devitalized tissue
- Eschar
- Black leathery tissue
- Fibrin
- Yellow protein film
- Necrosis
- Dead tissue
Etiology Clues
- Pressure
- Bony prominence
- Venous
- Gaiter edema
- Arterial
- Distal painful wound
- Diabetic
- Plantar pressure point
- Surgical
- Incision separation
- Traumatic
- Injury history
- Malignant
- Friable tumor wound
- Moisture
- Incontinence exposure
Exudate + Odor
- Serous
- Clear watery
- Sanguineous
- Fresh blood
- Serosanguineous
- Pink watery
- Purulent
- Thick opaque pus
- Heavy
- Absorption needed
- Odor
- Assess cause
- Maceration
- Protect periwound
Vascular Safety
- ABI
- Screen perfusion
- TBI
- Toe perfusion
- Pulses
- Compare bilaterally
- Rest pain
- Ischemia clue
- Cool foot
- Arterial concern
- Edema
- Venous clue
- Compression
- Needs perfusion
- Referral
- Vascular red flags
TIME Framework
TIME prepares the wound bed
TissueInfectionMoistureEdge
Infection vs Colonization
Colonization
- Organisms present
- No tissue invasion
Infection
- Host response
- Treatment escalation
Treat clinical signs
Dressing Picker
- Dry wound→Hydrogel(Donate moisture)
- Moderate drainage→Foam(Absorb cushion)
- Heavy drainage→Alginate(Absorb fluid)
- Heavy cavity→Hydrofiber(Pack loosely)
- Clean shallow→Hydrocolloid(Occlusive cover)
- Fragile skin→Silicone(Atraumatic removal)
- Bioburden concern→Silver(Short course)
- Odor distress→Charcoal(Control odor)
Dressing Functions
- Foam
- Moderate exudate
- Alginate
- Heavy exudate
- Hydrofiber
- Heavy exudate
- Hydrogel
- Add moisture
- Film
- Protection only
- Hydrocolloid
- Occlusive moisture
- Silver
- Bioburden control
- Charcoal
- Odor control
Debridement Methods
- Autolytic
- Body enzymes
- Enzymatic
- Topical collagenase
- Sharp
- Instrument removal
- Surgical
- Operating room
- Mechanical
- Physical removal
- Biologic
- Sterile larvae
- Stable eschar
- Often leave
Infection + Biofilm
- Contamination
- Organisms present
- Colonization
- No tissue invasion
- Biofilm
- Protected microbes
- Local infection
- Tissue signs
- Cellulitis
- Spreading erythema
- Systemic signs
- Urgent escalation
- Culture
- After cleansing
- Osteomyelitis
- Probe-to-bone concern
Escalation Picker
- Spreading redness→Notify provider(Infection risk)
- Fever present→Urgent evaluation(Systemic signs)
- Visible bone→Osteomyelitis workup(Probe concern)
- Bowel visible→Surgical emergency(Moist cover)
- No progress→Full reassessment(Find barrier)
- New ischemia→Vascular referral(Avoid compression)
- Supply failure→Care coordination(Admin issue)
- Cannot demonstrate→Teach-back(Education gap)
Reevaluation Signals
- Size trend
- Weekly comparison
- Tissue trend
- Bed quality
- Drainage trend
- Moisture control
- Pain trend
- Tolerance signal
- Adherence
- Plan reality
- Barriers
- Why stalled
- No progress
- Reassess cause
- Referral
- Escalate complexity
Teach-Back Loop
Show, say, return, document
ShowSayReturnDocument
Education vs Administration
Education
- Teach patient
- Verify understanding
Administration
- Coordinate resources
- Align protocols
Teaching needs systems
Legal Admin Education
- Scope
- License controls
- Consent
- Permission documented
- Refusal
- Respect autonomy
- Photo
- Secure record
- Teach-back
- Verify understanding
- Return demo
- Show skill
- Protocol
- Consistent care
- Supplies
- Coordinate access
Scope vs Certification
Scope
- License limits
- Policy controls
Certification
- Specialty credential
- No new license
License still rules
Exam Logistics
- Items
- Up to 110
- Scored
- 100 items
- Pretest
- 10 hidden
- Time
- 2 hours
- Pass
- 600 scaled
- Curve
- Not used
- Provider
- Prometric
- Credential
- 5 years
Prevention Basics
- Braden
- Pressure risk
- Turn schedule
- Pressure relief
- Support surface
- Redistribute pressure
- Heel float
- Offload heels
- Moisture barrier
- Protect skin
- Nutrition
- Protein calories
- Foot checks
- Diabetes prevention
- Compression use
- Venous recurrence
Common Traps
Stable Eschar
Stable heel eschar ≠ Automatic debridement
Compression Safety
Adequate perfusion first ≠ Every leg wound
WCC Scope
Credential supports expertise ≠ Credential expands license
Scaled Score
600 scaled pass ≠ Raw percentage pass
Teaching Proof
Teach-back verifies ≠ Handout proves understanding
Product First
Treat cause ≠ Pick dressing only
Last Minute
- 1.Assessment drives treatment choice
- 2.Measure length width depth
- 3.Head equals 12 oclock
- 4.Perfusion before compression
- 5.Offload pressure wounds first
- 6.Stable heel eschar stays
- 7.Spreading erythema needs escalation
- 8.Teach-back beats handouts
- 9.Scope remains license-bound
- 10.600 scaled, not curved
Buy on Amazon
Study guide on MometrixSame family resources
Explore More NAWCCB Wound & Ostomy Certifications
Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.
More From This Family
Videos and articles for deeper review.