Burns course teaches critical skills

11 April 2014

The Australian and New Zealand Burns Association (ANZBA) recently ran a course for health professionals in Taranaki, teaching critical skills for the early treatment of trauma patients with severe burns. This is the second year the course has been run in Taranaki, with participants from Oil and Gas Paramedics, St John, Hospital Emergency and Nursing staff, Intensive Care Unit, Surgical and Paediatric ward staff and included a House Officer and General Surgeon.

Richard Wong She, who helps write and teach the course, filled participants in on the challenges of treating burns patients.

Although the course has a focus on severe burns it follows well accepted principles for Trauma Management and therefore has application and value beyond the sphere of the burns patient. It offers a good grounding in Trauma Care and helps build capacity and resilience to deal with trauma in the local community.

“Severe burns are so outside the parameters of what most health professionals deal with on a day-to-day basis that they are actually quite frightening,” Richard says, “but primary health care providers are the ones who can make the biggest difference, so it is critical we overcome that fear with training, and give them confidence as well as competence.”

The one-day course can take up to 24 participants, it is fast paced and intensive. It begins with a series of lectures, followed by small group discussions, and working through practical scenarios.  These sessions are led by 11 ANZBA faculty members who are burn professionals and leaders in their field from across Australasia.
 
Taranaki DHB Trauma Nurse Coordinator Grant Looker said that the feedback from staff who attended the course has been overwhelmingly supportive and enthusiastic.

“It was interesting to watch the staff anxiety and stress levels rise during the day with the prospect of the coming assessments, but once it was all over they were grinning from ear to ear and full of praise for the experience,” said Grant.

For more information about the course visit the ANZBA website: www.anzba.org.au

Volunteers were made to look like burn vicitims in order for the course activities to seem as real as possible. Below are a few photos from the course.

Last updated: Friday, April 11, 2014