ABLS National Faculty

National faculty members within the Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS) Program provide quality assurance when training instructors and critiquing instructor candidates, and also provide program uniformity.

Definition

National Faculty are selected from the pool of ABLS Instructors, members serving on the American Burn Association ABLS Advisory Committee, and designated authors of the ABLS course. These are individuals with demonstrated expertise in burn care, have a strong interest in teaching, and are committed to furthering the ABLS course.

ABLS National Faculty must be active members of the burn community; must meet the requirements to be an ABLS Instructor as outlined in the Coordinator Manual section of the ABLS Instructor Manual; and must have been approved by the ABA-ABLS Advisory Committee. An ABLS National Faculty appointment remains in effect only as long as the individual remains current as an ABLS Instructor. National Faculty who have other duties and are unable to actively participate in Provider or Instructor Courses may choose the National Faculty Emeritus status.

A list of current ABLS National Faculty is maintained by the American Burn Association (ABA) central office and is accessible on the ABA website.

Selection and Training

National Faculty members are appointed at the discretion of the ABLS Advisory Committee. A qualified instructor can be recommended by existing National Faculty or ABLS Advisory Committee members, provided the following requirements are met:

1. Documentation by the ABLS Chairperson of the need for additional National Faculty.
2. Demonstration of support for and positive commitment to the ABLS core content.
3. Active service as an instructor for ABLS provider courses.
4. A letter of support from a burn center director, national faculty, or ABLS Advisory Committee member to be sent to the ABLS Advisory Committee Chair.
5. The candidate for National Faculty will be invited to teach an ABLS course at the ABA annual meeting where he/she will be evaluated by ABLS Advisory Committee members.
6. The candidate for National Faculty will receive a Certificate documenting completion of all requirements. Certificates will be provided through the ABA central office.

Role and Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the National Faculty include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Teaching at both Provider and Instructor courses (participating in a minimum of one ABLS course every other year).
2. Assisting with ABLS international courses at the request of the ABLS Chairperson or ABA President.
3. Evaluating ABLS instructor candidates as they teach in ABLS Provider courses. This observation includes a written critique of the instructor candidate’s abilities as a lecturer, case study facilitator, and patient assessment station instructor. This form is to be reviewed with each instructor candidate and then transmitted to the ABA central office.
4. Ensuring that all aspects of the ABLS Course guidelines are followed, thus ensuring the high quality of the ABLS program.
5. Assisting with long-range planning for ABLS courses within a geographic area.