27 Thermal injury
A Burns service is the ideal placement to observe and participate in a range of clinical practices. This includes inpatient, theatre and outpatient settings. If the opportunity arises, you will gain different perspectives depending on whether you are working with a health visitor, in an emergency department, or with a community children’s nurse. Potential learning opportunities that you should consider include:
- Shadowing individual members of the multi-disciplinary Burn Care team.
- Wound care and dressings participation.
- Skills: aseptic technique, catheter care, critical care/ high dependency care skills.
- Fluid management and maintenance of an accurate fluid balance.
- Protective isolation and barrier nursing.
- Pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain management strategies.
- Interdisciplinary working, e.g. by attending Burns multidisciplinary ward rounds and/or meetings.
- Multi-agency working, e.g. by attending strategy meetings or case conferences.