PAM Committee Members

I am a Burn nurse (training in France) and scrub nurse (diploma from Switzerland) and also have a Diploma in Tropical Medicine from Antwerpen in Belgium. I am fluent in French and English and the lead nurse for Interburns nursing training. I worked in Burn care in France and in the UK and in many countries with less resources through Interburns and MSF. I am in charge since its creation, of a 5 days interactive course ABC Advance Burn Course for Nurses, developed and delivered by an international faculty in 4 countries (Bangladesh, Ghana, Nepal and Ethiopia) between 2016 and 2019.

I supervised a mentorship in Quality Improvement of small sustainable projects in burn care for Nurses, Physiotherapists and Dieticians in 2021, trained UKMED staff for deployment in Burn Care online  and European Teams in Burn for Rapid Response Teams funded by the EU (with trainings in October 2022, December 2022, and early 2023 in the Netherlands). I translated a lot of educational material from English to French. I recently helped to develop a course for Nurses for three topics that can be taught online (Nutrition, infection control, pain management) and was part of the Interburns team in Tanzania first course face to face since the restrictions in March 2022.

On a more personal note, I travelled to India with my husband Tom Potokar and our 2 boys to set up Interburns training centre in Indore in collaboration with Choithram Hospital. With another family and a cameraman, we organised a ten days trip travelling from Kathmandu in Nepal through India to Dhaka in Bangladesh, made a film which raised 35000 pounds for Interburns. I have dedicated my carrier to the improvement of Burn Care globally through multi-disciplinary approach.

I am a pediatric nurse and academic with extensive clinical and research experience in burn care, particularly focusing on pediatric burn patients. My academic background includes a PhD in Nursing Science, during which I investigated the effects of topical propolis application on burn healing in an experimental model. In my earlier MSc thesis, I studied the factors affecting sleep quality in children with burns, highlighting the long-term physiological and psychological challenges these patients face.
Throughout my career, I have published several peer-reviewed studies on pain, sleep, and scar management in pediatric burn patients, including a randomised controlled trial on lavender aromatherapy and a national review of postgraduate theses related to pediatric burn pain. I have also presented internationally on topics such as burn wound healing and pediatric sleep disturbances. These experiences have solidified my interest in evidence-based, interdisciplinary approaches to burn care.
Currently, I am involved in the COST Action “Boost and Secure ATMP for Burn Patients (ESENBURN), where I can contribute to collaborative research efforts across Europe.
By joining the EBA PAM Committee, I hope to share my clinical insight and research experience while contributing to the development of high-quality, patient-centred nursing practices in burn care across Europe. I am particularly motivated to promote pediatric-specific approaches and cross-cultural collaboration within the group.

I’m an occupational therapist and I’ve worked within burns care for over seven years with our service catering for both adults and children from critical care through to outpatients. I’m predominantly based within our adult ward coordinating patient rehabilitation.

Reason for Joining the PAM committee

Burn injuries have the potential to have such a life altering impact both in the short and longer term that they require the unique professional skillsets of a diverse multi-professional team. Coming together at an international level, not only further enhances our ability to optimise the experience and recovery of these patients but to work towards standardising their care for a more equitable future ensuring all patients receive the best care and therefore outcomes.

Current focus in relation to EBA PAM Committee

I hope to be able to work in conjunction with my PAM colleagues, bringing a focus on function and optimising quality of life.

(Country – United Kingdom Profession – Occupational Therapist Workplace – St. Andrews Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery, England)

Hello everyone, I’ve been a French nurse since 2017, I worked in oncology and palliative care before moving towards burn care. I have been working in the burns intensive care unit for 4 years now at Hôpital Saint Louis in Paris, France. I have been able to devote myself to this speciality with passion and obtained an inter-university diploma in burn care in 2022. Optimal care for burn patients requires a holistic approach and expertise, so communication between the various professionals and the development of a team project are my priorities to ensure that our patients receive the best possible care in the best possible conditions. I hope to be able to contribute to the PAM committee to promote the values of the EBA and the development of burn car

Before I decided to become a nurse, I studied economy and business administratition. For some reason this didn’t really catch my interest. I switched field, and graduated as a registered nurse in 1994. I specialised in intensive care nursing two years later and started to work in the National Burn Unit (now Burn Centre) at Haukeland University Hospital. I have worked there since.. During the years at the Burn Unit, I had my two children. I also took a master’s degree in nursing science.

My reasons for joining the PAM committee

I consider the PAM committee a unique platform for cooperating internationally with fellow colleagues, sharing knowledge and experiences. Also for rising awareness of the challenges we meet in our daily work, and together find solutions.  In growing together we can  improve our practice to the best for our burn patients.

Current focus in relation to EBA PAM committee.

A multidisciplinary team approach in burn care is essential. My focus is first and foremost on inspiring and lifting the members of the Burn Team. I believe in the importance of exchanging experiences, aiming for the best possible practice.

I’m a social worker (-in-charge) from Finland with a master’s degree in social sciences. I have been working at HUS Helsinki University Hospital since 2011 and in the national burn centre at HUS Jorvi hospital since 2016. In addition to working in the burn centre, I also work on other wards and as a team leader for our group of social workers.

I’m interested in the psychosocial and societal aspects of burns. As a member of the PAM committee, I would like to contribute to sharing my knowledge of these topics for us as a burn care community to put more emphasis on understanding the social aspects of burns.  As burn patients often have severe social challenges, it is necessary that all the professionals in burn care understand the importance to concentrate on topics that are central to social work.

Having been involved in burns care since my undergraduate studies—initially alongside plastic surgeons and later as a physiotherapist—I’ve developed a strong and versatile skill set across the continuum of care for burns patients, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). I continue to work ad hoc shifts within the NHS in Scotland, focusing on acute paediatric burns, when not deployed with Humanity and Inclusion (HI). I also remain an active member of the voluntary faculty at Interburns, contributing to the delivery of their ABC Rehab training course.
My motivation for joining the PAM Committee of the European Burns Association stems from a deep interest in bridging the gap between LMIC burns care and the high standards advocated and implemented in European centres. I’m particularly keen to explore opportunities for collaborative research that can enhance global awareness and improve outcomes for burns patients.
While my primary focus is on rehabilitation—both in my work with HI and the NHS—I strongly believe in the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration. Building a supportive network that includes experienced nurses, psychologists, and other allied health professionals is essential, especially for advancing prevention efforts. I see the PAM Committee as a valuable platform to foster these connections and to potentially create pathways for European-based professionals to contribute to global burns care initiatives.