The outcomes and experience of people receiving community-based nurse-led wound care: A systematic review

Benefits of Collaboration Between the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse and Orthopedic Surgeon When Treating Skin Defects After Soft Tissue Sarcoma Resection: A Retrospective Case-Control Study

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the benefits of collaborative management between orthopedic surgery and WOC nurses in patients undergoing resection of subcutaneous sarcomas.

DESIGN

Retrospective case-control study.

SUBJECTS AND SETTING

The sample comprised 25 patients who underwent wide resection for soft tissue sarcoma, followed by 2-stage split-thickness skin grafting. Data collection occurred between January 2015 and April 2021 in a university hospital based in Kagoshima, Japan. For comparison, we categorized these patients into 2 groups: intervention group participants were managed by an orthopedic surgeon and a WOC nurse; nonintervention group members were managed without WOC nurse participation.

METHODS

Patient background and treatment-related information was retrospectively collected from medical records and compared between the WOC nurse intervention group and the nonintervention group, including maximum tumor diameter, surgical time, maximum skin defect diameter, length of hospital stay, and time from surgery to complete wound healing.

RESULTS

The average length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the WOC nurse intervention group compared with the nonintervention group (38.3 days, SD = 8.0 vs 47.1 days, SD = 10.2; P = .023).

CONCLUSION

Collaborative wound management with a WOC nurse resulted in a shorter hospital length of stay when compared to traditional management with WOC nurse involvement. Based on these findings, we assert that WOC nurses provide an important bridge between postoperative wound management in patients undergoing resection of subcutaneous sarcomas.

Assessment of nurses' level of knowledge of the management of chronic wounds

BACKGROUND

Chronic wounds are a challenge and a major cause of morbidity. A wound is considered chronic if healing does not occur within the expected time frame depending on the etiology and location of the wound.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the level of knowledge about chronic wound management of postgraduate nurses in different areas of the health system and their previous satisfaction with the training received during their undergraduate studies.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study of a health system of 95,000 inhabitants and 557 nursing professionals working in it.

PARTICIPANTS

Nurses working in the study health system and in areas with care for patients with chronic wounds in social, primary and hospital care.

RESULTS

Survey results described a low knowledge of chronic wound management in general. Data on knowledge according to area of work showed that nurses in primary care had the highest knowledge of wound etiology. Nurses working in health and social care were most knowledgeable in diagnostic knowledge. Hospital nurses showed the lowest knowledge overall. A relationship was observed when nurses had a master's degree followed by an expert with better knowledge in the test. In addition, nurses reported little training in chronic wounds during their university studies (69.73 %, n = 106).

CONCLUSIONS

Therefore, a review of this point should be considered to improve the management of chronic wounds and their correct approach among nursing students. A review of continuing and even specialised training needs in the clinical care setting should also be considered.

The client and family experience of attending a nurse-led clinic for chronic wounds

BACKGROUND

The quality of life for individuals with chronic wounds is diminished due to poor health-related outcomes and the financial burden of wound care. The literature has shown nurse-led wound care to have a positive impact on wound healing and psychosocial wellbeing. However, there is minimal research investigating the lived experience of attending a nurse-led clinic for chronic wounds. The purpose of this study was to explore the client and family experience of attending a nurse-led clinic for chronic wounds.

METHODS

Qualitative descriptive study. Semi-structured telephone interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was undertaken.

RESULTS

Twelve clients and two family members participated, and the average length of interviews was 20min. Three main themes emerged: (1) expecting and managing pain; (2) receiving expert advice and reflecting on previous care; and (3) managing the cost of care. There was an emphasis on the impact of chronic wounds on pain and the ability to complete the activities of daily living. Expert advice, client satisfaction and physical accessibility were highlighted as benefits of the clinic. Cost and minimal client education were identified as challenges of the clinic.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings demonstrated that chronic wounds have a significant impact on the client and family attending the nurse-led clinic. Comprehensive pain assessment, improved social support, better client education and cost-effective care is required to optimise the experience for people attending the nurse-led clinic.

Examining nursing processes in primary care settings using the Chronic Care Model: an umbrella review

BACKGROUND

While there is clear evidence that nurses can play a significant role in responding to the needs of populations with chronic conditions, there is a lack of consistency between and within primary care settings in the implementation of nursing processes for chronic disease management. Previous reviews have focused either on a specific model of care, populations with a single health condition, or a specific type of nurses. Since primary care nurses are involved in a wide range of services, a comprehensive perspective of effective nursing processes across primary care settings and chronic health conditions could allow for a better understanding of how to support them in a broader way across the primary care continuum. This systematic overview aims to provide a picture of the nursing processes and their characteristics in chronic disease management as reported in empirical studies, using the Chronic Care Model (CCM) conceptual approach.

METHODS

We conducted an umbrella review of systematic reviews published between 2005 and 2021 based on the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute. The methodological quality was assessed independently by two reviewers using the AMSTAR 2 tool.

RESULTS

Twenty-six systematic reviews and meta-analyses were included, covering 394 primary studies. The methodological quality of most reviews was moderate. Self-care support processes show the most consistent positive outcomes across different conditions and primary care settings. Case management and nurse-led care show inconsistent outcomes. Most reviews report on the clinical components of the Chronic Care Model, with little mention of the decision support and clinical information systems components.

CONCLUSIONS

Placing greater emphasis on decision support and clinical information systems could improve the implementation of nursing processes. While the need for an interdisciplinary approach to primary care is widely promoted, it is important that this approach not be viewed solely from a clinical perspective. The organization of care and resources need to be designed to support contributions from all providers to optimize the full range of services available to patients with chronic conditions.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION

CRD42021220004.

Primary Care Wound Clinics: A Qualitative Descriptive Study of Patient Experiences in Community Pharmacies

The expansion of primary care wound services serves to alleviate secondary and tertiary care utilization. However, patient satisfaction is required to ensure service uptake. In recent years, various community pharmacies in Australia have begun to offer dedicated wound clinics; however, evaluations of patient experiences have yet to be conducted. Thus, the present study seeks to explore: (1) the experiences and satisfaction of patients who have received wound care consultations for their acute wounds in a community pharmacy setting; and (2) how current pharmacy-based wound services can be improved. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with patients across five pharmacy-based wound care clinics in Western Australia. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and imported into QSR NVivo 12 Plus. Interview transcripts were coded and thematically analyzed using the framework method. Twelve interviews were required to reach data saturation. Five key themes emerged: the accessibility of wound services, the comprehensiveness of wound care services, confidence in wound care consultants, the awareness and promotion of wound services, and the expansion of wound care services. Overall, participants were satisfied with the accessibility and comprehensiveness of pharmacy-based wound service delivery, trusted the health care providers, and wanted the service to be expanded. The reported patient satisfaction, confidence in the health care provider, and desire to expand the service suggests there is potential for the service to grow in Australia. Due to the growing costs of wound care globally, there is scope to further evaluate and expand wound care services in the primary care setting on an international level.