Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society

What Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society does

The Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN Society) is a nonprofit professional nursing society founded in 1968 and headquartered in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, serving 6,000+ members across 11 U.S. regional chapters. It functions as the accreditor of formal WOC Nursing Education Programs (WOCNEPs) and operates a multi-product portfolio including accredited continuing education, certification exam preparation, the WTA and OCA programs for non-specialty nurses, and the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing (JWOCN), ranked in the Top 20 of nursing journals. The society publishes evidence-based clinical decision tools such as the Peristomal Skin Assessment Guide (PSAG), the Body Worn Absorbent Product (BWAP) Guide, and the eCQM Navigation Center.

The society's underlying technology consists of accredited education and certification infrastructure, an online Continuing Education Center (operated via Digitell), connected community platforms, and content delivery through the WOCTalk podcast (154+ episodes) and digital storefronts. Membership, education, and clinical resources are accessed through a member portal and web platforms.

WOCN generates revenue through annual membership dues (professional, student, and industry partner tiers), continuing education course sales (complimentary for members, purchased by non-members), conference and event registration (notably the annual WOCNext conference), bookstore and publication sales, merchandise (via Printify storefront), and corporate partnerships through the Strategic Corporate Partnership Program and Industry Alliance Program with medtech firms including Hollister, Smith+Nephew, Convatec, and Domtar. The society is governed by its own Board of Directors and professionally managed by Association Headquarters, with a separate affiliated WOCN Foundation supporting scholarships.

Name

Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society

Legal name

Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society

Website

https://wocn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society is a nonprofit professional nursing society founded in 1968, serving 6,000+ WOC nurses through accredited education, certification preparation, clinical decision tools, and advocacy across 11 U.S. regional chapters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Nursing Society Education and Certification

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Skilled Nursing Care Facilities (8051)

akta.pro primary industry

KOL Engagement & Medical Education (Advisory Boards/CME Support) (HLAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Home-Based Wound Care & Ostomy Nursing (HLADAFAH)

Keywords

• Wound care education
• Ostomy nursing certification
• Continence care training
• Nursing continuing education
• WOC nursing accreditation

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Laurel

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to professional resources, education, networking, certification support, and member-only content including the JWOCN journal and document libraries
2. Continuing Education Courses: Accredited CE courses available for purchase, with complimentary access for members and discounted rates for certification review courses
3. Conference and Event Registration: Revenue from WOCNext annual conference, WOCN Ostomy Education Day, WOCN Wound Education Day, and other educational events
4. Bookstore and Publications: Sale of textbooks, clinical guidelines, and professional resources through the WOCN Bookstore
5. Merchandise Sales: WOCN branded merchandise sold through printify.me storefront

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN Society) is a professional nursing society that delivers accredited continuing education, specialty certification preparation, evidence-based clinical tools, peer-reviewed publishing, and an annual conference for wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nursing professionals. Its core sellable offerings include WOCN Membership, the Continuing Education Center (CEC), the Wound Treatment Associate (WTA) and Ostomy Care Associate (OCA) Programs, the JWOCN journal subscription, and the WOCNext annual conference.

Product overview

The WOCN Society operates as a professional nursing membership organization offering a portfolio of educational products and services for wound, ostomy, and continence nursing professionals. The core offerings include membership access, accredited WOC Nursing Education Programs (WOCNEPs), the WOCTalk Podcast, the annual WOCNext conference, and online Continuing Education Center (CEC). Specialized training programs include the Wound Treatment Associate (WTA) Program for basic wound care and the Ostomy Care Associate (OCA) Program for ostomy care. Additional resources include the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing (JWOCN), the Peristomal Skin Assessment Guide (PSAG), Body Worn Absorbent Product (BWAP) Guide, eCQM Navigation Center, WOCN Bookstore, Mentor Match Program, Scholarship Program, Awards Program, and Public Policy & Advocacy resources. The Society also provides clinical tools, chapter networks, and a Strategic Corporate Partnership Program for industry collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WOCNext: Annual national education conference for wound, ostomy, and continence care professionals
• WTA Program (Wound Treatment Associate)
• OCA Program (Ostomy Care Associate)
• WOCTalk Podcast
• JWOCN (Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing)
• WOCN Foundation
• Mentor Match Program
• WOC Nurse Week

Products and services

• WOCN Membership Annual professional membership in the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society providing access to JWOCN journal, document library, image library, membership directory, connected communities, mentor match, scholarships, and member-exclusive pricing on continuing education courses. Available in professional, student, and industry partner tiers via the Industry Alliance Program.
• Continuing Education Center (CEC)

Quantifiable outcome

• JWOCN ranked in Top 20 of nursing journals
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• WOCNCB (Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Certification Board)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeparate but related entity providing national certifying examinations for graduates of accredited WOC educational programs. WOCN Society and WOCNCB are two distinct organizations with separate missions and governance. WOCNCB handles certification while WOCN handles membership and professional development.
• United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Back to Your Nursing Roots campaign to promote ostomy nursing as a career path and encourage more ostomy education in nursing schools. Partnership combines WOCN's professional nursing expertise with UOAA's patient advocacy reach.
• Hollister IncorporatedmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFunded the Peristomal Skin Assessment Guide (PSAG) and Ostomy Observations podcast series as part of the 'Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow' program. Commercially supports educational content while WOCN maintains editorial control.
• DomtarmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFunded the Body Worn Absorbent Product Guide, an evidence-based clinical decision tool for continence care
• Smith + NephewmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerWOC Nurse Week 2026 'High Octane Fueler' sponsor; also supports WOCTalk podcast episodes
• ConvatecminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported webinar content on convex product choices for ostomy care
• Strategic Corporate PartnersmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership program cultivating mutually beneficial relationships with companies serving the wound, ostomy, and continence care market
• National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Electronic Clinical Quality Measure (eCQM) education and resources for pressure injury prevention standards
• American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of stoma site marking resources and the Ostomy Care Management (OCM) Program for evidence-based online education
• American Urological Association (AUA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of stoma site marking resources for clinicians
• Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Clean vs. Sterile chronic wound management guidelines

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN): Large specialty nursing society with membership, CE programs, peer-reviewed journal, certification body (AACN Certification Corporation), and annual conference. Closely analogous member-based education society at significantly greater scale than WOCN.
• Infusion Nurses Society (INS): Specialty nursing membership society providing accredited education, certification support, a peer-reviewed journal, and an annual conference for infusion nurses. Highly comparable business model to WOCN's professional society structure and CE/journal/conference revenue mix.
• American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN): Specialty nursing society for ambulatory care nurses with education, certification support, and publications. Highly comparable member-based society structure relevant to wound, ostomy, and continence care delivery settings.
• United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA): Patient advocacy organization for ostomates that co-markets with WOCN through the "Back to Your Nursing Roots" campaign. Operates in the same ostomy ecosystem with overlapping stakeholder community but distinct patient-vs-nurse audience.
• Wound Care Education Institute (WCEI): Provides wound care education and certification preparation programs for nurses and clinicians. Directly competes with WOCN in the wound care education category with similar target audience and course offerings.
• National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS): Membership organization for advanced practice nurses with education, advocacy, and conference offerings. Operates with a similar professional society model and comparable scale to WOCN.
• Society for Vascular Nursing (SVN): Specialty nursing society focused on vascular care with similar professional society structure including CE, journal, and annual conference. Comparable in scale and mission to WOCN.
• Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN): Specialty nursing society delivering education, guidelines, and member services to perioperative nurses. Comparable member-based society model with similar revenue mix of dues, CE, conference, and publications.
• Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB): Sister organization that administers the national certifying examinations for WOC nursing graduates. Operates in the same WOC specialty with overlapping stakeholder base, and is explicitly described as a separate but related entity to WOCN.

Broad incumbents

• American Nurses Association (ANA): Largest U.S. nursing membership organization representing all RNs rather than a single specialty. WOCN operates as a specialty affiliate within ANA's broader professional framework and competes for member attention and CE spend.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wocnsociety
• Xx.com/WOCNSociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/WOCNSociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wocnsociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society