Jared Crum
Jared Crum was only in his second year of nursing school when a clinical shadowing experience he did at Akron Children’s helped cement the kind of nursing care he wanted to pursue.
“As a result of that experience in the hospital’s burn center, I became very interested in wound care and knew that I wanted to work here after I completed school,” he said.
Technically, Jared was already working at Akron Children’s at that time, just in another capacity.
“I joined Akron Children’s in 2019 as a guest attendant in the Reinberger Center while I was in nursing school at the University of Akron,” he said. “After graduating, I was able to transition to my nursing role.”
As a burn nurse, treating wounds is exactly what Jared does. In addition to providing bedside care during his overnight shifts, he also treats outpatients and triages large burns that come in overnight.
Jared enjoys the relaxed nature of third shift nursing. In addition to bedside care, he oversees burn injuries and wound care for overnight walk-in patients.
“Most people don’t know that we have a walk-in service,” said Jared. “If someone suffers a burn, they can bypass the ER and come straight to us. Ramen noodle burns are one of the more common sources of burns we see and treat, which may sound surprising, but studies show almost a third of childhood burn injuries are attributed to instant noodles.”
While many people wouldn’t relish working 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Jared said working third shift is ideal for him.
“I’m not a morning person, so I enjoy third shift,” he said. “There are fewer visitors and things are more relaxed.
“Since ancillary services and our physicians aren’t on-site overnight, we don’t do some of the elective treatments like wound debridement and tub baths that day shift nurses do,” he added.
When he’s not working at the bedside, Jared acts as a resource nurse treating outpatients.
In his free time off the job, Jared likes to fence (a combat sport that features sword fighting) and snow ski.
“We see a myriad of things. Fireworks injuries are common in the summer, and we see a lot of frostbite in the winter,” he said. “I dress a lot of wounds, educate patients on how to care for them, and recommend follow up if needed.”
To relieve stress, Jared likes to snow ski, sail and practice fencing (a combat sport that features sword fighting). He said it also helps that he really enjoys his job and the people he works with.
“We work well as a team. Everyone is willing to step up and help with whatever needs to be done. It helps make the workdays more enjoyable,” he said.
As for what he enjoys most about his job, Jared said it’s seeing patients throughout all stages of the healing process.
“There have been several critical patients that I’ve cared for over several months, and it’s always amazing to see how far they come by the time they leave,” he said. “It’s an honor for me to be a part of that process.”
Interested in a career in nursing at Akron Children’s? Visit careers.akronchildrens.org to learn more.
