Historically, nurses are required to obtain only Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and/or Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition and Stabilization. However, they’re expected to be able to confidently use advanced skills that are not covered in these basic certifications. A lack of skill knowledge of recurrent and advanced wounds, such as burns, leads to increased readmissions. The data prove that advanced certification in some areas, such as burns, should be provided to all nurses. Nearly 20% of patients discharged with Medicare are readmitted into the hospital within 30 days of discharge (Readmissions and Adverse Events After Discharge, 2019). The readmissions were due to discharge prior to test results and due to incomplete discharge planning.

When hospitals are not training nurses in certain areas it can lead to these results. I have heard of hospitals not providing patients with the proper discharge teaching and treatment for pediatric burns, which eventually led to patients refusing to go to a particular hospital. The staff did not properly treat the burns in the emergency department and did not provide any education to the parents.

As nurses become trained in specialty certifications, including burns and wound care, they should work with their facilities to create protocols that ensure proper patient care and reduce the readmissions.

Reference

Patient Safety Network. Readmissions and adverse events after discharge. September 7, 2019. psnet.ahrq.gov/primer/readmissions-and-adverse-events-after-discharge