The WOCN Society's Mission Statement

The WOCN Society is a professional community dedicated to advancing the practice and delivery of expert healthcare to individuals with wound, ostomy, and continence care needs.
We support our members’ practice through advocacy, education, and research.

Learn more at wocn.org.

The WOC Nursing Scope of Practice

The WOC nursing scope of practice, recognized by the American Nurses Association, is the foundation of WOC specialty nursing as a “…multi-faceted, evidence-based practice that incorporates a unique body of knowledge to enable nurses to provide excellence in prevention of wound, ostomy, and/or continence problems and complications; health maintenance; therapeutic interventions and rehabilitative and palliative nursing care to persons with select disorders of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary and integumentary systems. WOC nursing directs its efforts at improving the quality of care, life and health of healthcare consumers with wound, ostomy and/or continence care needs… WOC nursing is a complex nursing specialty that encompasses the care of individuals of all ages, in all healthcare settings, and across the continuum of care. WOC nurses influence and guide the delivery of optimal care for healthcare consumers directly through the provision of hands-on care and indirectly through their roles as educators, consultants, researcher, or administrators throughout the healthcare community. As leaders, WOC nurse also have a responsibility to address social concerns that affect healthcare including access to services and supplies, costs, health disparities, promotion of self-care, environmental issues that impact public health, technological advance, health policy and disaster management and effectively address social and advocacy issues; collaboration with healthcare consumers and colleagues in industry, medicine and government is critical.” (p.2)

Source: Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society. (2018). Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Scope & Standards of Practice, 2nd edition, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Author.

Get Involved with the WOCN Society

WOCNext 2025: June 1 - 4, 2025

Be sure to visit wocn.org/get-involved for updated ways you can get involved with WOCN!

Statement of Nondiscrimination Policy:

The WOCN Society Foundation does not discriminate among applicants on the basis of age, gender, race, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or marital status.