To someone who winces at the site of blood, the sights and smells of a hospital burn unit seem like a nightmare. But there I was, walking into Connecticut's only burn center, which happened to be in my clinical rotation hospital. My feelings of dread and apprehension changed as I walked by a room and overheard a resident explaining "nutrition is vital" to a patient. Intake of a high calorie and high protein diet supplements wound healing, and is an essential part of the healing process in a burn unit. I have gained experience working with patients with a range of 2% to 80% total body surface area burn. Starting from their admission, I’ve seen the progress of healing and witnessed, first-hand, the dangers of poor nutrition and poor wound healing- longer hospital stays, infection, skin re-grafting, and/or potential for amputation. The one unit I dreaded working on in the hospital has turned into my favorite experience during my clinical rotation. I feel fortunate to have had such a unique experience.
