One of the greatest challenges in preparing a certification examination item is ensuring that persons across this country and even abroad understand the terminology used in the item. Item writers must carefully evaluate terminology to ensure that it is consistent with current academic sources as well as ensure that it is in common usage by the wound care nurse at the bedside. Only in rare instances does a certification examination item test actually test on a definition of a term. In most cases, the test taker must already understand basic terminology. We commend Catherine Milne on her part in developing a glossary for wound care as found in the "AAWC Wound Care Glossary" and thank her for her clarification of the point that indeed there is a source to turn to when seeking a definition. As Ms Milne points out, wound care terminology is continuously evolving with the challenge being that new understandings and nuances of a term may take many years to become a common, standard descriptive term for wound care nurses across the country.

WOCNCB