Nursing Care for the Initial Resuscitation of Burn Patients

Serious burn injuries may have lifelong impacts for individuals that experience them and require timely medical treatment in order to reduce associated morbidity and mortality. Initial management of a burn is nursing intensive and focuses primarily on stopping the burning process, maintaining homeostasis by keeping the patient warm, and replacing lost fluid and electrolytes. As healing progresses, nurses meet the critical needs of the patient and must skillfully manage pain levels, perform burn care, prevent infection, help the patient meet increased nutrient requirements, and address psychological concerns with the goal to restore health and function to the highest possible level.