What does BNA mean in NURSING

Baromedical Nursing is an advanced practice specialty of nursing that provides care for patients undergoing treatment involving hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). This field requires expertise in the areas of pressure-related physiology and clinical assessments, hyperbaric chamber operations, emergency management, wound healing, and patient education.

To become a baromedical nurse in the U.S., you must have a current active Registered Nurse (RN) license, as well as either: 1) certification through the National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technology (NBDHMT) or 2) at least one year's experience working with a registered hyperbaric medical technologist under the guidance of a physician specializing in hyperbaric medicine.

Some of the common duties of a baroimc nurse include conducting patient evaluations prior to HBOT treatments, monitoring patients during HBOT sessions, providing education to patients regarding their treatment regimens, operating the pressurized chamber according to safety protocols, responding to any emergencies that may arise during treatments, adjusting operating room environment and air pressure levels according to patient needs, documenting each patient’s progress and response during treatments, providing wound care when necessary, and managing inventory and equipment maintenance.

The Baromedical Nurses Association (BNA) is open to all professionals who share an interest in baromedical nursing including nurses, physicians, allied health professionals & technicians. Membership offers access to online educational resources such as webinars & conference recordings; discussion forums & active support group meetings; networking opportunities with fellow baromedical nurses across various healthcare settings; mentorship programs; discounts on professional liability insurance; eligibility for scholarships & awards programs; cost-effective continuing education courses; annual conference updates & information; access to job postings & employment networking events. You can join BNA via their website - https://www.bnausa.org/enrollment/.

BNA provides multiple Continuing Education (CE) activities throughout the year including Webinars sponsored by other organizations like HBOProtocols.com®, as well as online modules developed by members who are experts in their field such as wound care CE modules. Also offered are Hemodynamix® courses which are performance improvement initiatives designed for hyperbaric clinicians who wish to improve their knowledge base or skill set related to hemodynamics concepts with relation to HBOT therapies.

Membership in BNA is not free but there are multiple plans available depending on your desired level of involvement and commitment - ranging from student rates up to multi-year institutional rates which include discounted group enrollments along with additional benefits including malpractice coverage for members who choose Gold Plus plan membership status for example. Please refer to https://www.bnausa.org/enrollment/overview/for details on current membership rates & plan options available through our association.

No - Joining BNA does not guarantee employment nor referrals however it provides access to job postings & employment networking events making it easier for its members stay informed about current openings related directly within our field around the United States allowing its members build relationships with potential employers & improve chances for referral work based upon merit rather than mere availability alone