Mimi Hien Ho, DNP, MSN, RN, CEN, FNP-C

Abstract:

Background: Studies have shown a knowledge deficit of appropriate initial burn treatment. There is a need for evidence-based wound care education rooted in new recommendations for providers to promote better patient outcomes. Objectives: To determine if an education module on burn wound management can improve Urgent Care providers’ knowledge and confidence in burn care, a pre-post intervention quality improvement project was implemented in three Urgent Care locations in Orange County from February 2024 to March 2024. Methods: All participants engaged in a 30-minute in-person wound care education intervention and completed the pre-and post-test the same day. There was a 4-week follow-up post-test to assess for retention. Participants’ demographics, burn care knowledge, and confidence in burn care were collected using pre- and post-test surveys. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon test. Results: Of the 19 participants, 2% had 1-5 years, 53% had 6-10 years, 37% had 11-15 years of experience in UC practice, and 21% of participants completed a CME course concerning burn care within the past two years. Participants were 16% MD, 10% DO, 32% NP, 42% PA. Of the 19 participants, 58% were between age group 30-39 years and 42% were between 40-49 years. There was a statistically significant increase in mean knowledge and confidence scores. Mean wound care knowledge score (4.2, SD 1.9 vs. 6.6, SD 1.5; p=.001) and mean confidence score (2.5, SD 0.7 vs. 3.4, SD 0.6; p=.001) from pre- to post-test, respectively. There was also a significant increase in mean wound care knowledge score (4.2, SD 1.9 vs. 6.7, SD 1.2; p<.001) from the pre-test to the 4-week follow-up post-test. Conclusion: An education intervention improved providers’ immediate and follow-up knowledge and confidence in burn care practice among urgent care providers. This study provides an effective burn wound education model for UC providers. Future studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of a burn education module across all outpatient settings and to assess changes in clinical practice and patient outcomes.

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