Earning an ASN for Burn Care
Typically, a burn care nurse is a nurse who works in a Burn Care or Intensive Care Unit in a hospital or another healthcare facility. Before deciding that you would like to specialize in Burn Care, you will need to begin with your education. In order to become a burn care nurse, you must have a degree from a formal nursing program.
This can be achieved by graduating with an Associte of Science Degree in Nursing. An ASN program can be found at technical schools or community colleges and usually take about 2 – 3 years to complete.
ASN and Burn Care Unit Nursing Experience
After completing school, the amount of experience that you need to have would be decided by the unit and employer. Some units may require you to have experience and specialized certifications, while others will have you work in different units before working in the Burn Care Unit (BCU) or Intensive Care Unit (ICU). All employers are different. Some may only be looking for RNs with 3-5 years of experience, while others are willing to accept someone with an ASN. However, a tip for RNs with their associate degree is to get your certifications and try to get experience where possible. Certifications could include the following:
- CCRN – Certification for Adult, Pediatric and Neonatal Critical Care Nurses
- PALS – Pediatric Advanced Life Support Certification
- ABLS – Advanced Burn Life Support
- TNCC – Trauma Nursing Core Course
For students who are looking to stand out, along with getting a certification, you may want to consider continuing your education and going for your BSN. Having your bachelor degree will increase your chances of finding a job.
As a nurse in a BCU or ICU, you have to have great compassion. You will be caring for people with different types of injuries, and having a connection with your patient is very important. In addition, as a nurse, communication and critical thinking are also very important to succeeding within this specialty.
If you want to succeed in getting your ASN for Burn Care, make sure to do your research, and make sure that this specialty will be the best fit for you.
