This is a part of the Hot Topic podcast series from the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center on Employment After Burn Injury. Nicole S. Gibran, MD, Researcher, discusses Accommodations Employers Might Make.

NICOLE GIBRAN:

I think there are very simple adjustments that can allow you to return to your previous job. But the, the employers and the patients need to be educated about what options there are. That’s why it’s very helpful, I think, that patients have access to a vocational counselor who has experience in working with employers, and has experience in talking to patients about what has worked for them in the past.

If you have a patient who is an outdoor worker and is going to be exposed to the environment, many of our patients may have sensitivity to heat or to cold, so if you work outdoors, maybe you need to be careful about wearing clothes that are warmer, and so you don’t get cold in environments that are cold. Or if you’re a kitchen worker, and you’re constantly at the stove, you might be sensitive to the extreme temperatures, and so there may need to be some adjustments with either your protective garments, or maybe instead of working at the stove, you’re going to have to be the prep chef, or something like that.

Visit https://msktc.org/burn and get the answers you need from experts who conduct innovative and high-quality research, provide patient care, and work to improve the health and overall quality of life for people with burn injury. That’s https://msktc.org/burn.