Few of us have never suffered a burn, whether a sunburn or a burn on a hot pan. Minor burns are very painful, but severe burns can have permanent, and sometimes deadly, effects.
“A major burn is one of the most critical injuries that we see in the Emergency Department,” Linda Libby said. “It damages the skin, muscles, and causes severe fluid loss.” Appropriate and immediate care for a major burn can be a matter of life and death.
In her many years as a registered nurse, Linda, who is the director of nursing in the Emergency Department (ED) at North Country Hospital, has seen many burns - ranging from minor burns to catastrophic ones.
Although the staff in the ED is well trained to handle burns, Linda said that the Emergency Department staff is always looking to update their skills so their patients will have the best care and the best possible outcomes.
On May 28 members of the ED team, along with a large number of EMS workers from various rescue squads from around the region, attended burn care training at the Eastside Restaurant in Newport. The guest speaker was Sally Morton, a nurse practitioner and burn specialist at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She talked about her work in the burn unit at the Massachusetts-based hospital while updating the participants in the latest in burn care
“We’re always looking for feedback on our work and we’re always looking for additional information to better serve our patients,” Linda said. “We’re doing a great job right now but we’re always working to improve.” She noted that as with treating any other type of injuries, the method of treating burns is always changing and evolving. It’s important for rural hospital staff to stay up-to-date on best practice patient care.
Dr. Newton and Linda were happy to see that almost 50 participants took part in the training. Many of the EMS workers are volunteers, and they juggled their hours at their paying jobs so they could attend the training.
“This shows exceptional dedication to their patients and this community,” Linda said. “We have a great working relationship with them.” Dr. Paul Newton, the director of the ED’s medical team, also serves as the medical director for the local rescue squads.
Everybody walked away from listening to Sally Morton talk about burns knowing that they were even more prepared to care for a burn when necessary, but at the same time hoping, for the good of the people, that they wouldn’t have to use those updated skills anytime soon.
