Nursing Staff Keep up with Latest in Burn Care
Thomas Wilson, RN, of Tower 8C, and the ED’s Yaeko Karantonis, RN,
and Jodi Swenson, RN, take part in a recent ABLS training. |
A joint effort by the Burn, Trauma and Critical Care Division and the Center for Nursing Excellence is ensuring that nursing staff and other local emergency responders stay up-to-date on the latest advances in burn care through an in-house training program.
The program brings together nursing staff from the Emergency Department, PACU, OR, ICUs, and others who may care for a patient with severe burns. Since the training is sanctioned by the American Burn Association, participants who complete it also earn Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS) certification.
“We’re a level one trauma center, and we already provide the latest and most comprehensive care to our patients suffering severe burns,” said Yvonne Michaud, MS, RN, manager of the Burn and Trauma Program. “The goal with this training is to provide this expertise to staff around the hospital and in the field, which will help ensure better outcomes for our patients.”
The knowledge participants gain in the course is essential to the care of burn patients, Michaud explained.
“Patients who come into the hospital with severe burns require a special assessment and approach, as well as key things to follow closely, such as blood pressure and fluid monitoring,” she said.
The most recent training held this fall graduated 11 nurses from units throughout the institution. Last year, this same course certified local EMTs from ambulance services and fire departments.
The course was taught by BWH staff, including Stefan Strojwas, BSN, RN, CCRN, nurse educator for 8CD, Joanne Hubbard, BSN, RN, staff nurse of Tower 8C, and physician assistant Jennifer Wall, PA-C, along with instructors from Massachusetts General Hospital and Shriners Hospitals for Children--Boston.
Staff completed an online course about burn care and simulation training that required them to work as a team to care for a patient.
“What I enjoyed the most about the training was the opportunity to work with other care providers from around the hospital, experts in burn and trauma in the Boston area and EMTs,” said Erica Cabral, BSN, RN, of Tower 8C. “The training really gave me an inside look at the teamwork that needs to take place in order for our patients to return to good health.”
Dorothy Bradley, MSN, RN, nursing program director, believes this partnership is a valuable resource to the hospital and other local agencies because it ensures that patients receive the proper care from the time they are triaged in the field to the time they arrive at BWH and go to the operating room or an intensive care unit.
“One of the key elements of this program is that those who complete it are now advanced practitioners on their respective unit or team,” said Bradley.