Roles & Responsibilities:
- Considered advanced practice professionals, burn unit nurses use special clinical skills to effectively provide comprehensive patient care.
- Because the range of burn types they may encounter varies, they need to be knowledgeable in a large array of treatments.
- Technical responsibilities include triage, stabilization, pain management and fluid balance.
- They may also help with rehabilitation, and provide consistent emotional support.
- Additionally, burn unit nurses must understand how to manage a patient's coinciding injuries.
- To do this, burn unit nurses often work alongside teams of healthcare professionals, including other nurses, physicians, psychologists, pain management experts and physical therapists.
- Those in this profession are often employed in burn care units, intensive care, trauma centers and emergency rooms.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Minimum 2 years ICU experience, 5 years preferred.
- Trauma, Burn, and pediatric trauma experience preferred.
Certifications & Clearance Requirements:
- Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification.
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS).
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH).