On behalf of the American Burn Association (ABA), we are excited to announce a partnership with the Board of Certification of Emergency Nurses (BCEN) that will allow nurses to achieve certification in the specialty of burn nursing.
BCEN will be responsible for writing and administering the exam, which will be offered to ABA members at a discounted rate in 2-3 years. The ABA will provide content expertise, create reference materials, and develop a catalog of educational offerings to aid in exam preparation. We are already in the process of drafting a Core Curriculum titled, Burn Nursing: From Injury Prevention to Rehabilitation, which will be one of the primary resources for the creation of exam content.
This offering is the result of a multi-year effort by the ABA Nursing Professional Certification Committee. We are so grateful for all the volunteers that have helped to elevate the specialty of burn nursing and address the needs of our nurse members.
Sincerely,
Gretchen Carrougher, MN, RN
Chair, Nursing Professional Certification Committee
Lucy Wibbenmeyer, MD, FACS
President, ABA
Addressing the professional needs of the Burn Nursing community
| Goal | Deliverable | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Define burn nursing | Publish Burn Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice |  |
| Distinguish burn nursing from general nursing and other nursing specialties | Gain formal recognition of burn nursing specialty from American Nurses Association | |
| Detail the role of burn nurses in the care of burn patients | Publish Core Curriculum for Burn Nursing: From Injury Prevention to Rehabilitation | In progress |
| Recognize professionals who have specialization in burn nursing | Develop a burn nursing certification exam | In progress |
| Provide individualized professional development opportunities for burn nurses | Launch ABA Mentoring Program | |
| Increase networking opportunities and educational events for burn nurses | Offer year-round Nursing SIG meetings and Journal Club events | |
| Dedicate additional resources to burn nursing programming | Appoint volunteers to new Nursing Committee, focusing on the educational and networking needs of burn nurses | |
| Ensure that nurses have the education they need to provide quality burn care and obtain specialty certification | Create a robust catalog of educational materials tailored to burn nurses | In progress |
