Delivering compassionate care in burn treatment
Lindsay Burnett: Nurse Practitioner, Burn Unit, Foothills Medical Centre
Lindsay Burnett’s colleagues say she goes above and beyond to improving burn patient care from the time they’re in the ICU to when they’re in the inpatient to outpatient clinics. She takes the time to ensure burn patients and their families are always heard and supported. That’s what makes Lindsay a Hero in Health!
The Heroes in Health initiative encourages patients and their families to give back in thanks for the extraordinary care they’ve received. To donate and nominate your health hero, go here.
Early in her career, Lindsay Burnett found her true calling in nursing. Following her graduation from the University of Alberta in 2006, life led her to Calgary, where she completed her final practicum in the Burn Unit at Foothills Medical Centre (FMC). Recognizing her love for the work in the patients she cared for, Lindsay knew that her career path would be dedicated to caring for burn patients.
“Burns are terrible injuries,” says Burnett. “You see patients at their worst, but you also get to watch people recover and go on to live very fulfilling lives. It is the most rewarding experience and truly a privilege.”
In 2022, Burnett completed her Master of Nursing at the University of Calgary. She then took a role at FMC’s Burn Unit where her position included direct clinical care in the inpatient and outpatient clinics, research, and education. She held the role of Clinical Nurse Educator (CNE) at the unit for 11 years.
“I loved teaching staff and patients, but what I recognized after a decade in the CNE role was that I really missed the bedside component,” explains Burnett. “I decided to go back and get my Nurse Practitioner (designation). It was the best decision I could have made because it allowed me to spend time with patients and families, and still teach.”
Leading with compassion
Despite the demanding and stressful nature of her job, Burnett brings kindness, knowledge and care to every interaction she has with patients and their families.
“Lindsay leads with compassion for our burn survivors and their families,” says Danielle Fuchko, a Clinical Nurse Educator at the Burn Unit. “She connects with patients and their families and will go above and beyond to improve their experience. This includes bringing families from the ICU to the inpatient Burn Unit so they can see their loved one before they’re transferred, ensuring complex discharge needs are met prior to patients leaving the hospital, and providing consistent follow-up care.”
Seeing patients recover is always uplifting, but not all injuries or admissions to the Burn Unit result in positive outcomes. It is in these difficult moments that Burnett relies on the support of her team.
“I couldn’t do my job without my team,” Burnett emphasizes “I feel successful when they’re successful as well. We have such a bright team that always wants to do better.”
Improving patient care and outcomes
Burnett believes great communication and continuity of care is what equates to excellent patient care. Having a close relationship with the ICU, she co-chaired an FMC quality burn committee that brought about great initiatives to help streamline care from the ICU to the Burn Unit.
In her role as a nurse practitioner, she is also heavily involved in research. Under the supervision of Dr. Vince Gabriel, Burnett is exploring novel ideas to objectively measure scar volume. Using a 3D-scanning camera, she’s looking to quantify whether different therapies offer a tangible difference in the treatment of scars, something that can only be done subjectively today.
Burnett’s dedication to helping burn patients and her continual pursuit of raising the bar of patient care are why she’s been recognized as a Hero in Health.
Lindsay, we’re proud to call you a Hero in Health, and to have you as part of our extended family.
The Heroes in Health initiative through Calgary Health Foundation encourages patients and their families to give back in thanks for the extraordinary care they’ve received.
