Joan Pirrung, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, is Society of Trauma Nurses president elect

Joan Pirrung, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC Christiana Care’s Trauma Program manager, was elected to serve a one-year term as national president-elect of the Society of Trauma Nurses.

The Society of Trauma Nurses is a professional, nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure optimal trauma care to all people through initiatives related to prevention and education, and focused on trauma nurses’ collaboration with other health care disciplines.

Pirrung has worked with the Delaware trauma population for 22 years, first at the bedside in intensive care and for the last 13 years as trauma program manager.

A major part of Pirrung’ s role is to manage and actively participate in Performance Improvement, which has a major impact on re-designating as a Level 1 trauma center every three years. This includes case review, co-chairing Performance Improvement committee meetings, programs and research, and assisting in loop closure.

She also manages 12 advanced practice nurses, a registry staff, injury- and violence-prevention coordinators, addiction counselor, an educator/trauma coordinator and office staff. The position extends into several nursing floors through various multidisciplinary committee memberships and works closely with the trauma physicians to ensure optimal care is provided to trauma patients.

Pirrung has authored or co-authored nine articles in peer-reviewed journals on topics including trauma care, advanced-practice nursing careers, education, rounding, motorcycle safety, brain injury and early recognition of pelvic fractures.

“Educating others on trauma care as well as injury prevention is vital to the success of the Trauma Program,” said Linda Laskowski Jones, RN, MS, ACN-BC, CEN, FAWM, vice president of emergency and trauma services. “Violence prevention and intervention is one program that has evolved over the past few years to meet the mission of Christiana Care in treating diseases within our community. Joan has played a key role in the concerted efforts of our injury prevention and outreach program team.”

Pirrung’s term as president-elect will be followed by a one-year term as president.