2005 Symposium on Advanced Wound Care | |
| 22 |
Informational/Educational Report
|
Successful integration of a nurse practitioner in a wound care center Carol Benton, BSN, RN, CWCN, Dawn Schoenherr, MSN, RN, CCRN, APRN, BC, Joan Phillips, MSN, RN, CCRN, APRN, BC, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI A major barrier to providing quality care in a hospital outpatient wound care center is missed or cancelled clinics. A schedule change for an individual physician may seem like a minor inconvenience, but it becomes a major headache for the nursing supervisor when multiplied by 13 doctors. A nurse practitioner role is a solution to improve scheduling, continuity of care, patient, employee and physician satisfaction, and improve the bottom line for the hospital department. Physicians and nurses were included as the role responsibilities, essential qualifications, skills, and experiences for the wound care center NP were defined prior to selection by a representative team from the center. Orientation was detailed regarding the variety of wound etiologies. Clinical time included opportunity to be mentored by each type of surgeon in the center – vascular, plastics, general, and podiatric. Monitoring for potential barriers and dealing with issues is vital to the implementation of this new role. Success of the NP in the Wound Care Center requires careful development of the responsibilities, selection of the right candidate, detailed preparation, consistent monitoring, and fostering acceptance by members of the WCC team. References American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Standards of Practice. Austin, TX.: AANP, 2002. Kelly NR, Matthews M. The transition to first position as nurse practitioner. J Nurs Ed. 2001;4:156–162. Kleinpell-Nowell, R. Longitudinal survey of acute care nurse practitioner practice: year 1. AACN Clin Issues. 1999;4:515–520. |
|