Annemarie O’Connor, FNP-BC, MSN
Nurse Practitioner, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
University of Chicago Medical Center

Throughout her career, Annemarie O’Connor has bridged the gaps among nurses, patients and physicians regarding burn care. O’Connor, an advanced practice nurse in the burn unit at the University of Chicago Medical Center, scrubs into operating room procedures and aids in the communication between nurses and physicians regarding surgical procedure and plan of care.

She rounds with the burn team in evaluating for pressure ulcers and wound progress. O’Connor performs physical assessments, prescribes appropriate treatments and provides direct care to patients of all ages (newborn to elderly) in the acute setting and clinic. Recognized as an Advanced Burn Life Support educator by the American Burn Association for the past 14 years, O’Connor has developed and taught ABLS classes at burn units around the country. She developed standardized order sets to guide nursing practice in managing burn patient care and supports nurses in achieving competencies needed to care for these patients.

Among her most notable professional achievements, O’Connor has contributed her knowledge base to ensure the organization achieved a national Certificate of Verification through the American Burn Association and the American College of Surgeons, which the burn unit successfully received in 2002, and renewed in 2006 and 2009. O’Connor cares deeply about what she does. For 18 years, she has participated in the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance Burn Camp, a week-long event for burn survivors ages 8 to 16.