Transitioning to Burn ICU

[Carolyn_RN]

Hi all!

Im currently a Tele nurse, but have always wanted to be an ICU nurse. An opportunity in the Burn ICU at a hospital near me has opened up and I've been finding myself very drawn to it. I think that I would enjoy the challenge of wound care and constantly looking at the whole picture of how things piece together..

That being said, I'm getting a lot of "WHY would you ever want to work with burn patients????" from friends and family, which is definitely scaring me.

Does anyone have advice on how to prepare myself to make this career shift?

[Collor]

I do not work in the burn unit, but have burn experience from the ER and Recovery Room. Burns are hard. Hard emotionally on patients and staff. For me, this is the patients I dread. The wound care is overwhelming (and more often then not, really smelly). Pain control in the acute phase is really tough to get under control (unless paralyzed and intubated). Constant surgeries for painful skin grafts are hard on patients...and again pain control issues. Not trying to discourage you, it takes a special nurse to do this type of nursing. I know I could never do it. Maybe you could ask nurse manager if you could shadow for a shift before applying? good luck with your decision.

[melizerd, ASN, RN]

If there is something you are interested in apply, and if interviewed request a job shadow before accepting.

I did a 6 week rotation through our regional burn icu and really enjoyed it. Spots rarely open up there because people stay forever. It is a hard place to work but also very rewarding. It's not for everyone, but no where is for everyone, I loathe labor and delivery lol. I'm currently on an oncology med/surg floor and love it. We do a lot of comfort care there as well and lots of people think I'm crazy for loving it. I'm just glad there is something out there for everyone.

[zzbxdo]

Lots of people, even here and above say they can't and wouldn't do it. But it's not bad. Sure it smells, but so does medicine and liver patients. I'm not special, I go in and do my job the same in my BICU and do my job the same way if I go to SICU or MICU. Like every new position, it's a few weeks of butt whooping then you'll go with the flow.

If someone else asks why you want to work with burns, produce the same answer with another specialty and fill it with burns. In the end they are humans in need of human help, just like everyone else.

And in all honesty, if they aren't intubated and sedated, they are going to be fine. Sure it sucks and it's painful, but at my facility our pain surveys show our population pain management is much more well treated vs other units and populations so go figure.