The case for advanced nursing roles has been well supported by evidence, much of it published in JAN, and a new study from Australia demonstrates the value of Nurse Practitioners in orthopaedics. The study by Coventry et al. (2017) aimed to: 'compare acute hospital length of stay and cost-savings for patients with hip fracture before and after commencement of the Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioner and identify variables that increase length of stay in hospital' and the article published in JAN is titled: 'Impact of the Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioner role on acute hospital length of stay and cost-savings for patients with hip fracture: A retrospective cohort study'.The length of patient stay was related to co-morbidities such as dementia and cardiovascular disease but lengths of stay (LOS) were reduced using Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioners (ONP) and '(the) cost-savings to the hospital over one year was $354,483 and the net annual cost-savings per patient was $1,178.' The authors concluded: 'This study has shown that implementation of the role of the ONP significantly decreased acute hospital LOS without increasing mortality or complication rates. Further research is required into interventions that optimize time to surgery, manage anaemia and co-morbid conditions, reduce complications and lead to improved patient outcomes.'
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Reference
Coventry, L. L., Pickles, S., Sin, M., Towell, A., Giles, M., Murray, K. and Twigg, D. (2017), Impact of the Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioner Role on Acute Hospital Length of Stay and Cost-savings for Patients with Hip Fracture: A Retrospective Cohort Study. J Adv Nurs. DOI: 10.1111/jan.13330
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