Pulse

Healing burn victims

I see a miracle every day in this unit,” said Lore Rogers, RN, BSN. A nurse at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta for 23 years, she knows those miracles don’t just happen. They’re encouraged by the skill and compassion of a staff dedicated to doing whatever it takes to heal patients.

When someone with a large burn arrives at the burn center, often by helicopter from miles away, it takes a team to treat that patient. A surgeon, a nurse practitioner, a physician’s assistant, two nurses and the wound care team of three technicians may work for five to six hours to stabilize the patient.

Most likely, the patient will be hooked up to a ventilator, an artificial kidney machine, pumps to work the heart and administer medication, and monitoring devices to keep that person alive and comfortable. The patient also is placed in a speciallydesigned bed to avoid developing ulcers. Full Article

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