title: Nursing strategies to reduce length of stay for persons undergoing total knee replacement: integrative review of key variables.
abstract: Decreasing the length of stay for persons undergoing total knee replacement surgery can improve patient and organizational outcomes while reducing health care costs. This integrative review examined selected nurse-driven variables that assist the interdisciplinary team to reduce length of stay. Findings suggest that a targeted clinical pathway including comprehensive preoperative patient education, physical therapy on the day of surgery, multimodal pain control, and proactive discharge planning may provide the best practice with this patient population.
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare, La Crosse, Wisconsin (Ms Hass and Dr Jaekel); and Viterbo University, La Crosse, Wisconsin (Dr Nesbitt).
authors.forename: Shelly
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hass
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jaekel
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nesbitt
mesh_terms: D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000451:nursing* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D059408:Pain Management / Q000451:nursing; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities