Comprehensive trauma patient care by nonphysician providers.
Nonphysician providers are being increasingly used to care for trauma patients. As these complex patients recover, they require meticulous medical management and time-consuming psychosocial care. A retrospective evaluation of a unique patient care service staffed by nonphysician providers is presented. The Intermediate Care Service is designed to facilitate the management and long-term placement of trauma patients who no longer require intensive care while recovering from their injuries. The new diagnoses, physician order changes, and disposition of 93 patients cared for during a 6-month period are described. Most patients were admitted with neurologic injury. The most common new diagnosis was constipation; the most frequent new orders related to medications, including bowel management, and rehabilitation consultations. All patients were discharged from the hospital. The Intermediate Care Service represents a unique and valuable model for the collaborative management of complex trauma patients.
Sole
M L
ML
University of Central Florida School of Nursing, USA. msole@mail.ucf.edu
Hunkar-Huie
A M
AM
Schiller
J S
JS
Cheatham
M L
ML
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000451:nursing / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D007380:Intermediate Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009733:Nursing Diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*