Nursing Care Plan for Burns
Also searched as: burn injury, thermal injury
Tissue damage from heat, chemicals, electricity, or radiation that disrupts the skin barrier and, in large burns, whole-body fluid balance. Nursing care prioritizes airway, fluid resuscitation, pain, infection control, and warmth.
🎓 Educational example. Adapt to your patient and have your instructor review it. Not medical advice.
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What do you assess in the Burns care plan?
- Subjective: patient reports pain, or in deep burns surprisingly little pain where nerves are destroyed
- Objective: depth and appearance of the burn, percent total body surface area estimated with the rule of nines, facial or inhalation burns, singed nasal hair, hoarseness, blistering, and urine output
Which nursing diagnoses apply to Burns?
As evidenced by: large percent TBSA burn, low urine output, tachycardia
Risk factors: open burn wounds, disrupted skin integrity
What are the goals and expected outcomes for Burns?
Each goal below follows the SMART format: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound.
- The patient will maintain a patent airway and adequate breathing throughout the resuscitation period.
- The patient will show adequate fluid resuscitation with urine output at or above 0.5 mL/kg/hr in adults within the first 24 hours.
What are the nursing interventions for Burns, and why?
| Intervention | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Assess airway and breathing continuously, especially with facial or inhalation burns, and prepare for early intubation if swelling develops. | Airway edema can progress fast and close off the airway after face or inhalation injury. |
| Give IV fluid resuscitation per the Parkland formula as ordered and titrate to urine output at or above 0.5 mL/kg/hr in adults. | Urine output is the bedside marker that resuscitation is restoring perfusion without over- or under-filling. |
| Use sterile technique for all dressing changes and monitor wounds for infection. | The lost skin barrier leaves burns highly vulnerable to invading pathogens. |
| Keep the patient warm with a controlled environment and warmed fluids, and manage pain with analgesia as prescribed. | Large burns lose heat quickly, so preventing hypothermia and treating pain are core priorities. |
How do you evaluate the Burns care plan?
- Airway stays patent and breathing adequate
- Urine output at or above 0.5 mL/kg/hr in adults
- Wounds remain free of infection and body temperature stays normal
Where do these Burns recommendations come from?
Stop rewriting care plans by hand
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Build a care plan free Preview Pro (coming soon)Burns care plan: FAQ
What is the nursing diagnosis for Burns?
Common nursing diagnoses include: Fluid volume deficit related to fluid shift and loss across burned tissue; Risk for infection related to loss of the protective skin barrier. Choose the one your patient's assessment data supports.
What are nursing interventions for Burns?
Key interventions: Assess airway and breathing continuously, especially with facial or inhalation burns, and prepare for early intubation if swelling develops.; Give IV fluid resuscitation per the Parkland formula as ordered and titrate to urine output at or above 0.5 mL/kg/hr in adults.; Use sterile technique for all dressing changes and monitor wounds for infection., each paired with a rationale.
Can I use this care plan for my assignment?
Use it as a study example and starting draft. Always adapt it to your specific patient and have it reviewed by your instructor. This is an educational tool, not medical advice.
For nursing education only, NOT medical advice and not a clinical decision-making tool. Nothing here should be used to assess, diagnose, or treat any real patient. Care plans and answers are unverified study drafts to review with your instructor or a licensed clinician and adapt to the individual patient and your institution’s protocols before any use.
Last reviewed 2026-07. Educational content based on standard nursing practice; not medical advice and not affiliated with NANDA-I/NIC/NOC. Always follow your institution's protocols and your instructor's guidance.