INTRODUCTION: This qualitative research study explored the meaning of being a Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurse (WOC Nurse) in wound care practice. The goal was to build a foundation of evidence for this specialty nurse group, from a perspective that is unexplored in the literature.

METHODOLOGY: Using the framework of Heideggerian Hermeneutical Phenomenology (Heidegger, 1962), lived experience research was conducted to explore the everyday experiences of these specialty nurses. An unstructured interview process was used. All interviews were audiotaped and then transcribed verbatim. Interpretive analysis involved immersion in the text, data transformation and thematic analysis.

SCIENTIFIC RIGOR/BIAS REDUCTION: Phenomenological study is contextual and a matter of individual experience. Systematic disclosure of method was described explicitly and a nurse epidemiologist reviewed the transcripts and themed documents for auditability, credibility and fittingness.

RESULTS: From the hermeneutic circle, emerged eight themes: Essence of Practice; bond of caring, Holistic Approach; putting the pieces of the puzzle together, the Dichotomy . . . them and me, Art of Wound Care, Growth in Practice, Allure of the Challenge, Acknowledging Limits . . . you can't always make it better and Teaching, Mentoring and Being a Role Model.

DISCUSSION: The stories told illuminate the essence of WOC Nursing practice while offering a potential source of learning and a mechanism for adding to the knowledge base. The themes that emerge from within the hermeneutic circle create a tapestry of experience.

CONCLUSION: The outcome of this research is a full rich description of the human experience of being a WOC Nurse in wound care. While adding to the empirical knowledge of this nursing specialty, this study is a tool for self-examination along the continuum to maturity and a more clear identity.