Emergency management for severe burn (EMSB) course for the nurses in Bangladesh: opportunity and way forward

The emergency management of severe burn (EMSB) course is one of the widely taken courses in over 15 courses worldwide. In Bangladesh, the course has been running since 2008. Over 600 doctors and only 72 nurses participated in the EMSB courses in Bangladesh. The study explored the experiences of the EMSB course for the nurse, including opportunity and way forward.

A multi-method study was conducted. Quantitative data were collected from 54 nurses using the telephone interviews. In addition, one focus group discussion was performed with the EMSB faculty members to obtain qualitative information.

Out of 54 participant nurses, 47(87.04%) were female, and 7 (12.96%) were male. Almost two-thirds of nurses (62.96%) were working at medical colleges and hospitals. About 52% of the respondents stated that they had the opportunity to use the knowledge and skill acquired from EMSB training in managing burn patients. Those who had a chance to use the EMSB course knowledge, among them a vast majority (92.8%) mentioned that it helped manage severe burn patients. However, every nurse struggled with the course language. As a result, they were not able to qualify for the written course examination. They were also not able to interact well during the lecture sessions. However, nurses did well in the moulage practical simulation session.

Immediate management of burn at the facility level could reduce disease burden, including hospital stay and quality of life. Nurses EMSB course, therefore, is essential for burn management in Bangladesh. Furthermore, course content updating, including bilingual option, could improve the nurse's course completion rate and confidence to contribute to their job areas.