Burn care nurses treat injury and trauma caused by burns from hot water, oils, fire, chemicals, and electricity. Burn nursing is a recent specialty, being recognized by the American Nurses Association (ANA) in 2020. The timing of burn treatment is critical, and burn nurses must know which actions to take and which treatments to use in the care of a large variety of wound severities and types.
Injuries from burns can have a high emotional and psychological toll as well as physical. Burn nurses help keep patients as comfortable as they can, while also providing emotional support. They collaborate with other disciplines to treat their patients’ injuries and mental health together to pave the way for healing.
Where Do Burn Care Nurses Work?
The urgent nature of burn injuries means that burn nurses typically work in high-acuity areas, such as:
Emergency departments (EDs)
Hospital burn care units (BCUs)
Intensive care units (ICUs)
Trauma centers
Urgent care facilities
Some burn nurses may focus on recovery after the initial healing period, in which case they would work in outpatient care, home health, or rehabilitation centers. In the acute stage, burn patients may be assigned to a medical-surgical unit, or for more severe burns, will go to the BCU or ICU.
If a burn nurse works in an ED, they will see patients soon after the initial injury. Continual assessment holds great importance in this role, as patients can become unstable very quickly after a serious burn. ED burn nurses assist the medical team in stabilizing patients before transferring them to a burn unit in their hospital or to a higher-acuity health center.
In the BCU and ICU, burn nurses continue to monitor patients’ hemodynamic stability, while also beginning burn care protocols to allow their patients the best chance for healing to full recovery and mobility. In urgent care facilities, burn nurses may see less severe burns, but must use their triage training to determine whether a burn needs to be seen at a higher level of care. If a burn can be treated at their facility, they will provide instruction to the patient and their family on burn care at home.
What Does a Burn Care Nurse Do?
Depending on the severity of the injury, burn nurses can be responsible for a multitude of tasks. Their first priority is always the patient’s overall stability. Burns can severely impact a patient’s hemodynamic balance and lead to shock. Burn nurses in the ED, BCU, and ICU continually monitor a patient’s vital signs: their heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, and temperature. They also must assess frequent labs and communicate often with other members of the healthcare team to deal with rapidly changing results.
Burn care nurses may need to complete these tasks during a shift:
Administer medications
Apply ointments and change burn dressings
Assess and treat pain
Assess emotional well-being and consult appropriate teams for intervention if necessary
Collaborate with physicians, nurse practitioners, patients, and families
Collect laboratory samples of blood and other bodily fluids
Coordinate care with other departments
Emergency resuscitation
Head-to-toe assessment
Insert and manage foley catheters
Keep patients clean and comfortable
Manage central lines like ports and PICCs
Monitor the patient’s vital signs
Patient and family education
Start and access IVs
Transport patients
Some burn injuries are nonaccidental. In pediatric settings especially, burn nurses must be familiar with burn patterns that suggest abuse. As mandated reporters, burn nurses must always report any sign of abuse they suspect.
As a patient prepares to go home, burn nurses put on their teacher hats, educating the patient and their family about caring for the wound after discharge. Burns nurses can also provide education to their community about burn prevention by speaking at various schools, businesses, and functions or by teaching patients one-on-one at an outpatient clinic.
How Do I Become a Burn Care Nurse?
To become a burn care nurse, candidates must graduate from an accredited nursing program with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). In the past, burn nurses could pursue this specialty with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), but more and more employers require a BSN. Once nurses earn their degrees, they can apply to a burn unit or emergency room as graduate nurses (GNs). Many facilities hire nurses as GNs and train them until they pass the NCLEX-RN, their state licensing exam. Once they pass the NCLEX, GNs become registered nurses (RNs) and, after their orientation, can practice on their own.
After burn nurses have some experience under their belts, they can apply to test for specialty certification. Some also choose to return to school to become nurse practitioners (NPs) specializing in burns. To do this, burn nurses must graduate with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), which can be completed in two years but may take longer if working full-time.
Because of the urgent nature of burn injuries, burn nurses must hold a few certifications, including:
Basic Life Support (BLS)
Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS)
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
Depending on their work environment, burn nurses may also want to pursue these courses or certifications:
Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC)
Pediatric Advanced Life Support Certification (PALS)
Certification for Adult, Pediatric, and Neonatal Critical Care Nurses (CCRN)
Burn nursing certification is currently being developed by the American Burn Association, but they have no release date yet.
How Much Does a Burn Nurse Make Per Year?
The annual salary for burn nurses looks similar to RNs, who make an average of $81,220 per year as of 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Burn nurse salaries can differ by location and experience, from the low-end average of $61,250 to the high-end of $129,400. Depending on your workplace, your employer may be able to offer higher or lower compensation:
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $90,600
Home Health Care Services: $82,920
Offices of Physicians: $79,810
Outpatient Care Centers: $97,200
Salaries for burn nurses can also vary based on which state they practice in. The West Coast, New England states, and Alaska pay their nurses the best, but the cost of living in these areas can also be high. The lowest paying states are in the Midwest and some southeastern states.
Burn nurse practitioner salaries are higher than RNs, with average annual earnings of $121,610, according to BLS data from 2022. The low-end average was $87,340, and the high-end was $165,240. Salary can also change based on employment type:
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $129,330
Home Health Care Services: $148,960
Offices of Other Health Practitioners:$112,660
Offices of Physicians: $121,880
Outpatient Care Centers: $134,030
The location of employment can affect burn nurse practitioners as well, with differences similar to RNs.
The top paying areas for burn nurses and nurse practitioners include:
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Napa, CA
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Yuba City, CA
Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA
Burn nurses earn more with seniority, certifications, and advanced degrees. In general, the more experience a burn nurse has, the higher their salary can climb.
Are Burn Care Nurses in High Demand?
According to the National Fire Protection Association, every 60 seconds someone in the U.S. suffers from a burn bad enough to require treatment. In 2019, over 8 million people sought care for burns, and most of these patients were between 10 and 19 years old. Most burn-related deaths, however, occur in children aged one to four. As a result, burn nurses may be more in demand in pediatric settings.
Nurses of all kinds are in high demand in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 24% of U.S. hospitals have reported critical staffing shortages. Until this shortage eases, nurses of all specialties will remain in demand.
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