The nurse practitioner: management of minor trauma.
OBJECTIVE
to identify patient groups within Accident and Emergency (A & E) practice where the nurse practitioner, following agreed protocols and treatment regimes, might make a contribution to patient care; and to describe a possible process of preparation required to introduce nurse practitioners into an A & E department.


METHODS
A 14-day study (6-12 January and 24-30 July 1994) in which the case notes of all patients attending the A & E department were analysed.


METHODS
The A & E department of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, UK.


METHODS
A census of the case notes of 1785 patients.


METHODS
Demographic and clinical characteristics of new patients, diagnosis, investigations, treatment ordered, numbers of return visits, source of referrals and disposal destinations.


RESULTS
On analyses of the workload profile it became apparent that a small number of injury categories, investigations and treatments, accounted for a significant percentage of patient throughput and that 75% of cases attended between 09:00 and 21:00 h. Many cases were of a minor nature, discharged home after minimal treatment and no follow-up. It was thought possible that the assessment and treatment of a significant percentage of patients (30%) could be carried out by suitably trained and experienced nurses working to an agreed protocol.


CONCLUSIONS
The paper discusses the concept of the nurse practitioner and seeks to demonstrate a possible role for such a clinical worker using previously agreed protocols devised from a clinical database of patient requirements. Their employment could possibly bring a considerable routine saving in waiting time for patients with minor injuries.
Brebner
J A
JA
Ruddick-Bracken
H
H
Norman
J N
JN
Page
J G
JG
D016529:Emergency Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000451:nursing*