Wound Ostomy Continence School

Nearly one million people in North American have ostomies, and 70,000 new ostomy surgeries are performed each year. Recognizing that people with ostomies, fistulas, pressure ulcers and incontinence have special needs, Cleveland Clinic pioneered the Enterostomal Therapy Program, now called Wound, Ostomy, Continence (WOC) Nursing.

Specially trained Wound, Ostomy, Continence (WOC) nurses are devoted to helping both adult and pediatric patients by offering preoperative counseling and stoma siting prior to ostomy surgery; caring for patients after surgery; and providing education to patients about post-discharge needs and self stoma care. Cleveland Clinic WOC nurses are board-certified by their professional organization and have received special training. Each day at Cleveland Clinic, WOC nurses care for 50 to 60 people, and each year see more than 2,700 individuals in the outpatient clinic.

»Program History

In 1958, Rubert B. Turnbull, Jr., M.D., a pioneer in colorectal surgery at Cleveland Clinic learned that one of his former ileostomy patients, Norma Gill, was assisting stoma patients in her hometown of Akron, Ohio. He offered her a position as the world's first full-time enterostomal therapist and coined the term "enterostomal therapy."

The two established the first enterostomal therapy training program, later named the R.B. Turnbull Jr., M.D., School of Wound, Ostomy, Continence/Enterostomal Therapy Nursing.

In 1968, at the suggestion of Dr. Turnbull, 12 of the first graduates met and formed the North American Association of Enterostomal Therapists (today called the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society). A year later, the organization constituted a convention held at Cleveland Clinic.

The department now has extensive experience in the management of patients with stomas. Cleveland Clinic sponsors a school of Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nursing in which nurses are trained in the art of managing intestinal stomas. The WOCN Nursing staff covers the outpatient clinic area and assist in-hospital patients with stomas. These specially trained registered nurses are able to give patients education about taking care of their stoma, and information on ordering supplies. If pouching/stoma problems develop, the WOC nurse can help problem solve to find the correct pouching system for an individual.

»The Role of the WOC Nurse

People with ostomies, fistulae, pressure ulcers and incontinence have very special needs. Recognizing these needs and the concerns you may have about them, Cleveland Clinic employs a team of nurses, called Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nurses, devoted specifically to helping you overcome any initial anxiety or insecurity you may feel.

»Credentials

Our WOC nurses are all board certified by a professional organization and have received special training. They keep abreast of state-of-the-art equipment and treatment programs and quickly make such innovations available to patients.

»Experience

Each day at Cleveland Clinic main campus, our WOC nurses care for 50 to 60 people with ostomies and fistulae. Each year, they provide counseling during more than 2,700 outpatient visits. They care for children, adolescents, and adults.

While your WOC nurse does not function as your primary nurse, the WOC nurse’s goal is to help ensure a smooth recovery so you can return to normal daily life as quickly as possible.

Your WOC nurse is available to provide individualized care and instruction at the bedside before and after surgery, in the outpatient clinics, and by phone even when you are at home.

Nearly one million people in North America currently have ostomies and 70,000 new ostomy surgeries are performed each year. People learn to lead very normal lives with temporary and permanent ostomies of all kinds. They work, have children, eat well, travel and lead active lives.

WOC nurses offer preoperative counseling, working individually with patients to provide them with information about their surgery and prepare them for what to expect afterward. They play an important role in stoma siting, finding the best spot on the abdomen for the surgeon to create the stoma, by identifying an area on the abdomen which will help ensure both comfort and a reliable seal with the ostomy pouch. After surgery, WOC nurses assess the abdominal and stomal area, and recommend the most appropriate pouching system. In-depth instruction will be provided regarding stoma and skin care as well as pouching procedures and techniques.

The WOC nursing staff cares for patients with colostomies, conventional and continent ileostomies, conventional and continent urostomies, fistulae and pressure ulcers. For those patients with incontinence, the WOC nurse can provide information on skin care, odor management, and absorption or collection products.

Please ask questions of your WOC nurse. Any question you have is important; no questions is too difficult or too trivial. If you have a question, you can reach an WOC nurse by calling: 1.800.223.2273, ext. 6677, or direct line to office is 216.444.6677, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Or you may email questions.

»Insurance Coverage

Some medical insurers cover WOC nursing services. Check with your insurer to find out about your specific coverage. A fee schedule is available through Cleveland Clinic by calling 216.444.9286.

»Related Links

For more information about Wound, Ostomy, Continence (WOC) Nursing contact:

Wound Ostomy & Continence Nurses Society
4700 W. Lake Ave
Glenview, IL 60025
888.224.WOCN
866.615.8560 Fax

National Institutes of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
NIH, Building 31, Room 9A04
31 Center Drive, MSC 2560
Bethesda, MD 20892-2560

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
1520 Kensington Rd., Suite 202
Oak Brook, IL  60523
Phone: 630.573.0600

»Downloads

Having a Colostomy

Having a Ileostomy

Having A Urostomy

Common Ostomy Related Surgeries of the Colon & Rectum

For a Consultation

For outpatient appointments, call:

• Colorectal Surgery: 216.444.5404
• Toll free number for long distance callers: 1.800.223.2273, ext. 4-5404

For hospital consultations:

• Ask your physician to write an order for an WOC nursing consultation

WOC Nursing Education Program

• Cleveland Clinic Admissions and Course Registration Portal

»Application Packet

• Entire Application Packet-CC-WOC
• General Information
• Program Description
• Student Projects
• Scholarship Information
• Housing Options
• Transportation
• Dress Code

• Preceptor Application

»History

The school is named for the late Dr. Rupert Turnbull, a colorectal surgeon at Cleveland Clinic, who developed the concept of enterostomal therapy in 1958 when he recognized the rehabilitative value of providing patients with specialized, one-on-one support and instruction. Akron native Norma Gill, herself an ostomate, was the first E.T. and worked with Dr. Turnbull to advance the specialty worldwide.

When it was founded nearly fifty years ago, Cleveland Clinic's WOC school was the first of its kind in the world. Since then, it has graduated more than 1000 of the approximately 3,800 WOC nurse specialists practicing throughout the world. The program is well-established, well known and highly respected.

»What Sets Our Program Apart

Split option program

Four weeks of didactic instruction and the option of conducting your four weeks of clinical instruction at Cleveland Clinic, or at a facility closer to home with a Clinic-approved preceptor.

Extensive Clinical Exposure

Thanks to Cleveland Clinic's large volume of patients - between 40-60 ostomy-fistula and 35-50 pressure ulcer and incontinence patients are in the hospital on any given day - you will be exposed to a wide variety of medical conditions and treatments.

Working closely with one of our WOC nurses, you will receive hands-on experience in caring for patients with intestinal and urinary stomas, urinary and fecal incontinence, dermal ulcers, cutaneous fistula and other selected skin conditions.

Extensive Resources of Cleveland Clinic

Your classroom lectures and curriculum are enriched with input from specialists throughout Cleveland Clinic, including colorectal surgeons, fellows and residents; and experts from urology, pediatrics, dietetics, oncology and other departments.

»Our Curriculum

The four-week didactic and clinical program is offered several times each year. The program combines classroom education with clinical experience in four major area of study:

• Ostomy and fistulae
• Pressure ulcers and draining wounds
• Incontinence
• Professional Practice

The didactic curriculum consists of 140 hours of lectures, demonstrations and discussion groups. The clinical component includes patient care in acute and ambulatory care with optional experience in long-term and home care.

As part of the curriculum, you will participate in the Cleveland Clinic-wide Skin Care Team, a joint effort of the division of Nursing and Plastic Surgery. You'll practice a systematic approach to skin care management, including assessment; intervention, topical therapies and patient education.

Our curriculum is:

• Accredited by Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society*
• The Cleveland Clinic Foundation (OH-045) is an approved provider of continuing education by the Ohio Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation OBN-001-91. Provider status valid through 10-01-09**
• Approved by Allied Health & Education Council of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation*
• Recognized by The World Council of Enterostomal Therapists

*Contact the school office for expiration dates.
**Contact the school office for number of contact hours awarded

»Our Faculty

The teaching faculty comprises board-certified WOC nurses, colorectal and urology surgeons and physicians, residents, and specialists from other departments within Cleveland Clinic. Also contributing to the curriculum are experts in home care, social service, plastic surgery, nutrition and other specialties.

»Prerequisites

You must be a registered nurse with a four-year baccalaureate nursing degree, or baccalaureate degree in a field other than nursing with demonstrated baccalaureate level nursing competencies in the areas of health assessment, leadership and management, research and statistics, and community health nursing. Masters in nursing without baccalaureate in nursing will be considered.

»Benefits of WOC Nursing

Greater job opportunities since your ET/WOC nursing skills will be in demand throughout the country and around the world in hospital; home care; extended care facilities; outpatient clinics; private practice; industry and research; and educational institutions.

• The potential for higher pay as an WOC nursing specialty practice.
• The professional prestige of being an RN WOC Nurse.
• Eligibility to sit for certification from the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board.
• Fulfilling contact hours for continuing nursing education that your home state may require.
• The personal satisfaction of providing in-depth, individualized care to patients in need.

»Scholarship/Grants

Scholarships for Enterostomal Therapy/Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nursing Education may be available from:

• American Cancer Society (state or county offices)
• Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nurses Society
• United Ostomy Associations of America
• Norma N. Gill Scholarship through the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists Norma N. Gill Scholarship through the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists

Cleveland Clinic "The Frank Weakley, MD, ET Nursing Scholarship"

For More Information

R.B. Turnbull, Jr., MD 
School of WOC Nursing

Linda Stricker, MSN/ED, RN, CWOCN
Director, Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nursing Education
strickl3@ccf.org

Teresa Warnke
Administrative Assistant
warnket@ccf.org

Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Avenue, HS1-500
Cleveland, OH 44195
Ph. 216.444.5966
Fax: 216.445.6343

Contact Us: my.clevelandclinic.org/webcontact/webmail.aspx

Learn more about nursing at Cleveland Clinic through the Nursing Institute.

The Anne Goldstein Online Nursing Education Program

Cleveland Clinic now offers its wound, ostomy, continence (WOC) educational program online. The Ann Goldstein Online WOC Nursing Education Program provides students the same range of curriculum and access to expert faculty as the live school program.

• Cleveland Clinic Admissions and Course Registration Portal

»Online Curriculum

The Ann Goldstein online WOC nursing education program incorporates technology with education in a highly interactive virtual classroom. Students acquire the knowledge and skills to provide patients with effective psychological support, discharge planning, rehabilitative counseling and follow-up care.

The online curriculum includes:

• Concepts in WOC Nursing
• Wound and Skin Management
• Wound & Skin Practicum
• Fecal and Urinary Diversions
• Ostomy Practicum, Wound & Skin Practicum
• Continence Management
• Continence Practicum, Wound & Skin Practicum

»Practical Training

Like the live classes, graduates of the online program are eligible to sit for the certification exam through the Wound Ostomy Continence Certification Board www.wocncb.org.

Following the online didactic program that includes individual and group projects, learning activities, discussion threads and online testing, each student will also be required to complete a 120 hour clinical practicum with a WOCN approved preceptor.

»Prerequisites

To enroll, students must be a Registered Nurse, have earned a BSN and have at least one year of medical-surgical nursing experience.

This program is beneficial to nurses who serve the needs of patients with wound, ostomy and continence needs including acute care, longterm care, home care, ambulatory care.

»Faculty

Our online instructors are available to students and engage regularly with students through various communication channels including email, chat and message boards. Our online instructors also teach classes through the Turnbull School of WOC Nursing Education, the live school program.

Linda Stricker has 20 years experience in WOC Nursing, six years experience teaching in nursing programs and joined the Turnbull School of WOC Nursing Education in 2008. She is the current director of the program.

»Benefits of Online Training in WOC Nursing

• Students complete the program and become eligible for certification from the comfort of their own homes.
• No added expense of travel and living arrangements.
• Many opportunities to interact with classmates and faculty.
• The program includes a clinical component that may be completed with an approved local WOC nursing preceptor.
• Courses prepare students to play a vital role in pre- and post-operative management of the person with an ostomy; to be instrumental in the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers, fistula, and other skin disorders; and to be a specialist in the care of patients with urinary and fecal incontinence.
• Students will acquire the necessary skills to provide patients with effective psychological support, discharge planning, rehabilitative counseling and follow-up care.
• When it was founded in 1961, Cleveland Clinic's R.B. Turnbull, Jr., MD, School of WOC Nursing was the first of its kind in the world. Since then, it has graduated more than 1,500 of about 6,000 WOC nurse specialists practicing throughout the world.

»Benefits of WOC Nursing

Greater job opportunities since your WOC nursing skills will be in demand throughout the country and around the world in hospital; home care; extended care facilities; outpatient clinics; private practice; industry and research; and educational institutions.

• The potential for higher pay as an WOC nursing specialty practice.
• The professional prestige of being an RN WOC Nurse.
• Eligibility to sit for certification from the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board.
• Completing contact hours for continuing nursing education that your home state may require.
• The personal satisfaction of providing in-depth, individualized care to patients in need.

»Scholarship/Grants

Scholarships for Enterostomal Therapy/Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nursing Education may be available from:

• American Cancer Society (state or county offices)
• Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nurses Society
• United Ostomy Associations of America
• Norma N. Gill Scholarship through the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists Norma N. Gill Scholarship through the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists

Cleveland Clinic "The Frank Weakley, MD, ET Nursing Scholarship"

For More Information

R.B. Turnbull, Jr., MD
School of WOC Nursing

Linda Stricker, MSN/ED, RN, CWOCN
Director, Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nursing Education
strickl3@ccf.org

Teresa Warnke
Administrative Assistant
warnket@ccf.org

Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Avenue, HS1-500
Cleveland, OH 44195
Ph. 216.444.5966
Fax: 216.445.6343