Nurse Patient

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*) Learn ** of the most common medications used on the burn unit.

• Know common side effects of each drug.

• Know drug interactions.

• Know the correct dosage and route of the medications.

2) Take the full load of two burn ICU patients or half the load of burn step down patients.

• Be able to assess both patients.

• Be able to give medications to both patients.

• Be able to turn each patient q 2hrs.

3) Communicate with the healthcare team

• Be able to call the doctor when changes occur with the patient.

• Be able to communicate with respiratory therapy when changes are needed to the

ventilator or when the patient’s respiratory efforts decline.

• Be able to communicate with physical therapy to help the patient get up out of the bed

and ambulate.

• Be able to communicate with occupational therapy to help the patient relearn how to

perform tasks of daily life.

4) Communicate with family and significant others of the patient.

• Be able to give pertinent information to significant others or family if requested by the

patient.

• Be able to teach them important things regarding care of the patient.

• Be able to speak with family or significant others over the phone about the progress of the

patient only if they have the patient’s identification code.

5) Learn how to properly care for burns.

• Be able to work with the nurse to change the dressings of the burned patient.

• Be able to learn about the patient who undergoes hydrotherapy.

• Be able to learn how to prevent infection to the burns.

• Be able to learn how to properly clean the burns.

• Be able to use the rule of 9’s scale to determine the percentage of burns that the patient

has encountered.

6) Initiate more IV’S

• Be able to initiate IV’S on new patients.

• Be able to replace IV’S on patient’s when needed.

• Be able to draw blood for pertinent labs.

7) Initiate discharge planning

• Be able to teach patients and family how to properly care for their burns.

• Be able to teach patients and family important reasons to call the physician.

• Be able to work with case management when working to discharge a patient.

• Be able to work with a social worker when working on discharge planning.

8) Give report to the oncoming nurse

• Be able to use SBAR when reporting to the uncoming nurse.

• Be able to give updates to the returning nurse, if they have cared for the patient before.

• Be able to give pertinent information to the uncoming nurse.

9) Provide emotional support

• Be able to make the patient more comfortable.

• Be able to teach non-pharmacologic therapies to manage pain.

• Be able to call the hospital chaplain for the patient of family.

10) Document on patients

• Be able to document both patient’s assessments.

• Be able to write nursing notes about everything pertinent that happens in the day.

• Be able to assess new orders in the chart and initiate them.

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