Improving Burn Nursing through Burn Specific Skills Day

Background. The American Burn Association recently published a consensus-derived list of eleven standardized burn nursing competencies that nationwide burn unit nursing staff need to maintain. These competencies were published to help direct the educational priorities for burn nursing to ensure the team meets burn center verification through the American Burn Association. Currently, there is not a practice in place to ensure the burned trained nurses of the University of Utah Burn Trauma ICU (BTICU) have maintained these core competencies after initial employee orientation. Three specific competencies of the eleven published were determined to have a vital impact on daily practice and required the most up to date education and training. With this knowledge, a burn unit specific skills day was created to enhance learning and ensure burn nursing competencies are maintained.Methods. A burn unit specific skills day was developed and implemented for the registered nursing staff of the BTICU. A team of senior BTICU nursing staff, including the burn unit nurse educator, worked together to create the curriculum and facilitate burn specific skills day. The efficacy of this project was analyzed through three assessments, including a pre-test survey, day of event survey, and post-test survey. Nurses were asked for self-reported confidence levels in all categories taught prior to and after skills day. Confidence levels were listed as extremely confident, moderately confident, fairly confident, and no confidence. Nurses were also asked if they were able to utilize the skills learned within 30 days of skills day completion. Results were compared to determine the value and benefit of holding skills days. Results. Forty-nine of the seventy (70%) nurses currently employed with the BTICU were able to participate in this quality improvement project. Overall results indicated burn specific skills day improved nursing confidence levels and were perceived as a beneficial use of time. Confidence levels increased for nursing personnel in each of the eleven areas taught, and additionally, 73% of nurses were able to utilize skills taught during skills day at the bedside within thirty days of taking the class. Most notably included the confidence level change six skills including: room setup (p=0.03); fluid warmer setup (p=0.007); EZ-IO (p<0.000); pediatric AbViser (p<0.000); OnQ/Ambu (p=0.006); PCA (p=0.001; and stat wrap (p=0.02). This analysis is indicative that skills day was impactful for the burn nurses and their ability to appropriately care for burn survivors.Conclusion. Based on initial feedback, burn specific skills day is a needed and desired educational forum, not only for the annual goals of the burn management team but also for the bedside nurse in furthering their personal ability to maintain ABA core competencies.The impact of these educational forums increased nurses' confidence levels, providing valuable and timely information, and many nurses were able to implement skills learned at the bedside within thirty days of attendance. This increase in confidence levels and training could ultimately improve patient outcomes overall.