today i was posted to burns unit in SGH to learn how to nurse a burn's patient...how to do dressing for them...

the only thing i could say that its definitely not an easy job...esp to nurse a burn's patient...and usually patient wont juz come in for small minor burns...most...or should i say all that had to be admitted to the burns unit suffer from multiple burns over several areas...and most of them suffered at least 2nd degree burns...some even had 3rd degree(aka full thickness burns)...most of the patients are scalded by boiling water, hot oil, industrial explosion, MVC(motor-vehicle-collision)...etc etc...

its really not easy...and usually these burned area covers a large body surface area(esp the chest, abdomen, upper or lower limb...sometimes even the face)... u can imagine how difficult it is to do their dressing...and u have to pay special attention and really lots and lots and lots of patience...as u really need to be really really gentle on their delicate wound...

the nurses has to wear FULL protective gown when doing dressing for the patients...and a simple dressing might even take up to 1 hr with at least 3 staff doing it concurrently!!

imagine me and 2 other staff wore these for at least 2.5 hrs!! to shower patient + change their dressing!! and best part!!! we are suppose to on the shower room warmer when showering patient!!! i was sweating like hot turkey!!!


but how do these patients feel??

try imaging a huge piece of skin on ur hand/leg/chest etc was being burned off..and ur muscles are left to be exposed to the atmospheric air?? a slightest breeze would set u jumping into the ceiling!!! its juz so so so so damn painful...

u had lost ur body's first line of defence...how susceptible are u to infections and sepsis?

imagine those exudate from ur wound dries up, all the dressing, or the stuff u used to cover ur wound got stuck and u had a painful and terrible time trying to peel it off from ur raw flesh!!!

when ur skin is healing, its natural to feel a slight itchy...but imagine this itchy is multiplied by 10 times and its covering a huge body area(esp if its those sensitive area!!)...and its so raw that u cant even touch it!!! how torturing is this??

when its juz so painful and u cant even move urself out of bed...and ur eyes were juz settle on the ceiling most of the time...and nothing else...how do you feel??

looking at the discoloured/disfigured skin on own body part(s)...with the images of the accident flashing continuously through ur mind...so vividly...and u repeatedly asking urself, why did this happen to me!! why me!!!! but how far can u escape from reality???

that's the kinda pain and distress these patient experience day in and day out...

its really terrible...

as i was nursing them...i have to admit...

i asked myself...how much can we understand abt their feeling??

we are all fortunate individuals and had neber gone thru such tragady in our lives...

how much will we understand?? i am really unsure...

but from their expressions and behaviors...

there's something i know...

they are really in great pain and agony...

both physically and emotionally...

but all we, nurses, can do...

is to provide them with the best care we can ever give...