Career path to start working for a Burn unit/wound care

Published

Hey everyone! 
 

I have been workin on a Ortho med/surg unit for almost 2 years now and am looking for a change sometime soon. I’ve noticed that one of the things I love to do in nursing is wound care. I love seeing all the different wounds and am very particular about my dressings. If I have wound care to do that night for a patient I’ll carve out time in the shift that way I can make sure my dressing are done properly and look good. Anyways, I think I would like to get my wound care license but I have a couple questions. I’ve seen similar threads to this but not one that answered some specific questions I have. Anyways; 

1. I heard there are 2 wound care certification that you need to get if you want to work in a hospital setting. Is that true? And if so which ones are they? 

2. any recommendations on schools?

3. Do you have to work in a wound care clinic for a certain amount of time before you work in a hospital setting?

And for further down the road I think I’d like to work in a Burn unit, and I think that having experience in wound care and having those certifications will help. I don’t have any critical care experience though and I know Burn units are specialized and are in the ICU. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for how I can go about getting to this career path? If I work as a wound care nurse should I also keep a part time job in a hospital setting so that I don’t loose my skills when I want to apply for a Burn unit? And if I do need critical care experience to work in the Burn unit,  does it have to be ICU or ED or can it be in an IMCU/PCU? 
 

Honesty any input would be super helpful and I appreciate anyone who takes the time to respond. Thank you:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU/Mother-Baby/Peds/Mgmt.

There's both a Burn Care group and Wound/Ostomy/Continence group here, I would also post this question there.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I don't have any advice for becoming a burn nurse, but bless you! We toured one when I was in school and it looks really hard. Never an option for me as I am so hot natured, I would not be able to tolerate it (rooms are very hot).  

Wounds are interesting. I work with several WOC certified RNs 

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion