Just who are the AAWM and the ACCWS?

Wound care certification can appear to be a daunting prospect; even the number of organizations and authorities involved in the process can seem overwhelming. Each body also has its own impenetrable set of acronyms and abbreviations to navigate, with all acronyms appearing to be no more than anagrams of each other. Its enough to put you off wound certification altogether.

This article attempts to shed some light onto two of the key organizations that deal with wound certification; the American Academy of Wound Management (AAWM) (www.aawm.org) and The American College of Certified Wound Specialists (ACCWS) (www.theccws.org).

The AAWM was established in 1995 as a national, not-for-profit, multidisciplinary certifying board for healthcare professionals involved in wound care. It operates independently of any membership or education organization. The AAWM offers two different, highly respected credentials:

Certified Wound Specialist (CWS)
Certified Wound Care Associate (CWCA).

The CWS board certification is the most prestigious and rigorous certification in wound care and demonstrates a distinct and specialized expertise in the practice. The CWS credential displays to patients, employers and peers a dedication to the highest standards and achievement in wound care. To be eligible to sit for the CWS exam, an applicant must 1) possess a Bachelor’s degree, 2) hold a license or designation as one of the following: MD, DO, DPM, PA, DMD, or equivalent; VDM or equivalent; RN, PT or OT, and 3) be able to document three years of clinical wound care-related experience, including direct patient care.

To be eligible to sit for the CWCA exam, an applicant must have three years of clinical wound care-related experience, including direct patient care. Applicants do not have to have a Bachelor’s degree.

Since their inception, the CWS and CWCA programs have been hugely successful, and have helped thousands of wound care specialists advance their careers. However, it gradually became apparent that the AAWM, which operates purely as a certifying organization, was no longer fulfilling the needs of all its diplomates. Therefore in 2005, and in response to repeated requests for the formation of an advocacy and educational arm, the ACCWS was formed.

The ACCWS serves as the educational resource and advocate for CWS and CWCA status, providing informational resources for wound care professionals, and promoting an awareness of the potential benefit of CWSand CWCA credentials on the general healthcare environment.

The following credentials are available through the ACCWS:

Fellow of the American College of Certified Wound Specialists (FACCWS)
- available to any CWS currently credentialed by the AAWM
Associate of the American College of Certified Wound Specialists (AACCWS)
- available to any CWCA currently credentialed by the AAWM
Honorary Fellow of the American College of Certified Wound Specialists (FACCWS)
- available to individuals of national or international stature, selected by the Board of Directors, who have made an outstanding contribution to the interdisciplinary practice of wound management.

The designation FACCWS or AACCWS after a name is highly prestigious and demonstrates that the professional in question has reached a level of excellence in wound management.

The e-learning courses offered by Woundeducators.com provide a convenient and affordable way to prepare you for wound certification. Contact us at today for more information about how to take the next step in your career in wound management.

The WoundEducators.com course is endorsed by the American College of Certified Wound Specialists (ACCWS).

To learn more about ACCWS, please visit www.theccws.org.