Fixing the Leaky Pipeline of Burn Nurses

BACKGROUND: Burn care is a vital nursing specialty currently facing significant workforce challenges, as many burn nurses are leaving the field and attracting new talent is increasingly difficult. The underlying reasons for this trend are unclear, but limited exposure to burn care during training may be a contributing factor. PURPOSE: We aimed to develop and evaluate a burn-focused curriculum for nursing students to increase interest, knowledge, and readiness to pursue burn nursing careers. METHODS: Twenty nursing students in their final semester were randomly selected to participate in an educational intervention consisting of a one-hour, burn-focused lecture and a two-day shadowing experience at an urban burn center. Students observed burn surgeries, participated in wound care, attended multidisciplinary rounds, and visited the outpatient clinic. A multiple-choice quiz was completed before and after the lecture. Pre- and postexperience surveys assessed the nursing students' interest in burn nursing and wound care, comfort with burn care, perceived understanding of burn management, and likelihood of pursuing a career in burn nursing. Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used for analysis. RESULTS: Most students initially expressed interest in working in ICU, ED, or operating room settings, with 85% reporting no prior exposure to burn-related content. Common barriers to considering burn nursing included a lack of exposure and concerns about the emotional toll. After the intervention, students showed significant increases in interest in burn nursing (P = 0.007), comfort with burn care (P = 0.008), and perceived understanding of burn management (P < 0.001). Quiz scores significantly increased from 62% before the lecture to 86% afterward (P < 0.001), and the likelihood of pursuing a burn nursing career increased from 30% before the two-day shadowing experience to 85% afterward (P < 0.001). Interest in wound care remained unchanged (P = 0.53). CONCLUSION: Early exposure to burn care through targeted education and clinical experiences may increase nursing students' interest in and preparedness for careers in burn nursing, addressing a critical workforce gap.