The 'look' that people give you...

Specialties Burn

Published

I just recently got a job in a Burn ICU. When I tell people I got a new job, they ask what hospital, and then which unit. When I tell them Burn ICU, I get that 'look'. The one that just screams "omg, you're crazy!" or "better you than me." I get this from my current RN coworkers as well.

I can only guess that for many nurses, Burn ICU is not something for them. I'm actually looking forward to this experience. I know it will be tough, but I want to be the best nurse I can be.

-Kevin

I'm still working on pre-reqs for now, but this is where I want to end up. I was badly burned at age 4. 2nd and 3rd degree burns on face, chest, and both arms. I am now 30 y/o and covered in skin grafts. :wink2: I was initially treated at Tampa General Hospital but received a majority of my care from the Shriners Hospital in Cincinnati. My nurses were the absolute best!!! My dream is to be able to give the same excellent treatment back to other burn patients. I want them to be able to look at me and see that there is hope and life after fire. :nurse: :redbeathe

I know you will ahieve your goals. As another poster pointed out you have been there and done that. You can really understand what these patients are going through better then someone like myself who has never suffered that type of injury.

I think your story and experience will offer inspiration to your patients. I saw a NICU nurse featured on tv once time who decided to become one because she was born a preemie herself. She used to go through the pics that the nurses took of her and she was taken back every year to visit them. When she went to college she majored in nursing and then busted her chops to get into a NICU.

Some of the parents interviewed said that they had more hope for their babies after knowing that one of their caretakers was once that small and that sick.

Specializes in ER/SICU/Med-Surg/Ortho/Trauma/Flight.

Im a sup. of a SICU/BICU/TICU in a very large hospital and I get that look all the time, someones got to do it. My Sicu doubles as the burn unit and trauma unit, we get the worst of the worst.

Specializes in Burn Icu.

I am a burn nurse- I actually wait for the look when I tell people where and what I do. I wait to see if they are mortified, curious or both. There is so much more to it that burned skin and the smell. I absolutely enjoy every minute from the roll in the door doing fluid resusitation and gtts, tanking them to the roll out the door to rehab or the floor. I call after they have gone home to check on them and their families. I get to take care of the sickest patients that have the greatest chance of walking out of the hospital with long lives ahead of them. It is the one place I can use every nursing skill out there, it is also the warmest place in the hospital. And you really can feed people, no special diet other than high calories. Perfect place to work. I love it!

On anyone wanting to be a burn nurse:

To be a burn nurse you must never be afraid that you can give to much pain medicine, burns hurt intensely and holding back pain meds is cruel.

On a daily basis burn patients recieve 10mg morphine prn q 10 minutes during dressing changes alone. That's probably more than most nurses give in there career. That's a lot of morphine, burn patients stay on drips for months that would kill the rest of us. Burn pateints metabolize the pain med fast so you have to keep it coming. They need rest and it only comes with pain relief. That's my one nugget.

1 Votes
Specializes in Public Health.
On anyone wanting to be a burn nurse:

To be a burn nurse you must never be afraid that you can give to much pain medicine, burns hurt intensely and holding back pain meds is cruel.

On a daily basis burn patients recieve 10mg morphine prn q 10 minutes during dressing changes alone. That's probably more than most nurses give in there career. That's a lot of morphine, burn patients stay on drips for months that would kill the rest of us. Burn pateints metabolize the pain med fast so you have to keep it coming. They need rest and it only comes with pain relief. That's my one nugget.

Thank you for that. Burns is a very unique specialty when it comes to pain. I'm new to this specialty and nursing, but not new to working in a hospital, so I was shocked initially at how much pain medication some patients were getting. I've come to realize that everyone is different in terms of pain management. I always ask for pain meds if what's ordered is not working for the patient, especially during burn care.

1 Votes
Specializes in BICU.

I know it may be hard, but as someone who has survived the trauma of massive burns, I can tell you that the nurses who cared for me were top notch. I remember my first night in the BICU in Staten Island, there was a tiny little nurse. She had to be 7 or 8 months pregnant at the time. I told her I was scared, and did not want to die, and burn wards were where they sent firemen to die...

She sat with me, held my hand, and did not leave my room that entire first night. She was off shift about 6 hours when she felt I was "ok" enough to head home. I will always remember her fondly, and will say she, and the other nurses of the BICU at SIUH.... You are the reason I am going into the field now. And God bless anyone who can make another human as panicked as I was calm.

Never think the look is a bad one my friend. Chin up high and proud.

I just started nursing but I hope to work in the burn unit one day. To some it may seem unthinkable - but the burn victims need special care - it's not about how horrific it is for us - it's about making a difference for the patients. Giving them hope and comfort. Burn nurses are one of a kind! Thank you for your hard work everyday!:heartbeat

I know it may be hard, but as someone who has survived the trauma of massive burns, I can tell you that the nurses who cared for me were top notch. I remember my first night in the BICU in Staten Island, there was a tiny little nurse. She had to be 7 or 8 months pregnant at the time. I told her I was scared, and did not want to die, and burn wards were where they sent firemen to die...

She sat with me, held my hand, and did not leave my room that entire first night. She was off shift about 6 hours when she felt I was "ok" enough to head home. I will always remember her fondly, and will say she, and the other nurses of the BICU at SIUH.... You are the reason I am going into the field now. And God bless anyone who can make another human as panicked as I was calm.

Never think the look is a bad one my friend. Chin up high and proud.

I'm from Staten Island and know that hospital well, from when it was a little brick building on Castleton Avenue.

Some of you guys have guts. And love. Thank you for what you do.

I just recently got a job in a Burn ICU. When I tell people I got a new job, they ask what hospital, and then which unit. When I tell them Burn ICU, I get that 'look'. The one that just screams "omg, you're crazy!" or "better you than me." I get this from my current RN coworkers as well.

I can only guess that for many nurses, Burn ICU is not something for them. I'm actually looking forward to this experience. I know it will be tough, but I want to be the best nurse I can be.

-Kevin

I have noticed the same thing. My best friend and I are in the program together, and he is going to work in a Cardiac ICU. When we talk to people they are like cool working with hearts. When I say Trauma/Burn, I get the same "Ewwww Burns". Thanks to reading this thread and all those stories, it seems to bother me a lot less now.

Thanks for all the encouragement!

I luved all of your inspirational stories and appreciate what you do as well. I am a nursing student and will graduate in May of this year. I just received a call today from Shriner's hospital about an application I submitted. I was searching online for more info and came across this post. I am so excited/nervous. Thanks again for the stories.

Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
I luved all of your inspirational stories and appreciate what you do as well. I am a nursing student and will graduate in May of this year. I just received a call today from Shriner's hospital about an application I submitted. I was searching online for more info and came across this post. I am so excited/nervous. Thanks again for the stories.

Congrats and good luck. I'm on a mixed burn unit and definitely could not do kiddos all the time. Too many abuse cases that make me want to throttle someone. :(

If you like doing 3-4 hr full body dressing changes, leaving the room drenched in sweat, that's great. Double kudos if you enjoy spending all that time with people who burned themselves smoking crack.

I am interested in the Burn Unit from a medical perspective. I am fascinated by Blood, Needles and Wounds. However, I do not know if I have what it takes. I begin nursing school in January 2013 and hold my CNA and would like to gain exposure to it.

Loyola Medical Center in Chicago (where I live) has an esteemed Burn Unit but I was under the impression that they do not allow anyone to shadow its nurses, unlike other units. I have shadowed Cardiac Nurses at Northwestern and would welcome the opportunity.

I feel that each nurse has his/her calling and we and patients are lucky for the diverse interest.

Thanks for the benefit of your experience.

+ Add a Comment