Psychosocial training in Pakistan

In May, a small Interburns team delivered bespoke training to 22 nurses working in burn centres across Pakistan as part of a research project led by the Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning (PILL) and the University of Manchester, funded by the NIHR. The training, which is part of a wider programme on the Psychosocial Rehabilitation of Burns Patients, is just one aspect of Interburns involvement, the others being training in Advanced Burn Care (Nursing) and ABC(Rehabilitation), DAT assessments in six burn centres, and Fellowships.

The role of case managers to support burn patients from admission to post discharge, is a new addition to the multi-disciplinary burn team. This initial training helped to define the role and gave participants the opportunity to understand and vocalise how they might fit into the burn team as patient advocates and support.

Content for the two-day course was adapted using materials from Essential Burn Care (EBC) as well as Psychosocial Rehabilitation for Burn Patients which was delivered in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2022. Training included a mix of activities including lectures, small group activities, discussions and team tasks.

Only 28% of participants said they were Very Confident across a range of areas at the start of the training, compared to 81% at the end. Comments included ’I recommend the training to all across Pakistan, not only burn nurses’, and ‘I enjoyed wonderful sessions and a lot of additional knowledge’.

Participants highlighted the following as particularly useful aspects of the training:

• Helping patients cope from stress, supporting the patient and family for better outcomes.

• Effective communication, behaviour, problem solving, listening skills.

• Looking after the discharge of patients; motivating the patient and increasing their low self-esteem.

• Knowing the difference between reassurance of false hope and showing reality; continuous patient education and identification of risk factors; team collaboration.

The training was held on 6th and 7th May 2024 at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, led by Interburns Surgical Lead, Sian Falder, and Clinical Psychologist, Dr Rachel Mumford. Our thanks also to members of PILL who took part, in particular, Training Lead, Zainab Zader.