Amy Brammer, AIS Faculty member and Chair of AISC.B, has been a registered nurse for 28 years. Her entire career has been spent treating trauma patients throughout the continuum of care. She has worked in the rehabilitation unit, step down, Surgical Intensive Care and Emergency Departments. For the past 7 years, she has managed trauma programs in Missouri and California. Amy has successfully led her first American College of Surgeons Trauma Re-verification with no deficiencies, this past summer. She also earned her Master’s Degree in Nursing from Lindenwood University in December.

Amy advises, “I believe to be a successful trauma nurse you need to be a lifelong learner.  You need to constantly seek knowledge and best practices in the care and management of the injured patient.”

Amy began her AIS journey in 2011 when she took her first course. “I became a Certified Abbreviated Injury Scale Specialist (CAISS) in 2012. I applied for an open position on the CAISS Board shortly after becoming certified.  I then served as a member of an expert panel for an AIS mapping project. I started working as a faculty member for the AIS course in 2013.” Over the years, having her CAISS has opened many doors for her. “Initially, it afforded me the expertise to ensure the success of my trauma centers. The data in the trauma registry is the foundation of the trauma program.  Accurate data leads to successful management of a trauma program through accurate reporting and research.” She continues, “My CAISS has given me opportunities to meet and work with trauma experts from all over the world. I hold my fellow faculty and board members in the highest regard. I have participated in many publications and projects with my AIS colleagues since obtaining my CAISS. I am looking forward to new opportunities in the future.”

Some of the exciting changes that Amy sees for the future comes from her connection with The American College of Surgeons, which plans to include the AIS course as a requirement for verified trauma centers. In Amy’s estimation, “this will improve the quality of trauma data. I believe this will result in improved research in injury prevention and trauma care.”

Amy currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband Cary (of 28 years) and their dog Ryder. She recently gained a daughter when her son Maximilian married his high school sweetheart on March 3.

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