Date of Paper/Work
5-2011
Type of Paper/Work
Doctor of Nursing Practice Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Gay Varecka
Department/School
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop a wound care referral algorithm for primary providers at a Long Term Acute Care Hospital, and the use of this algorithm to increase the prompt referrals of patients with complex wounds to specialty care by 10%. This study used a model of program evaluation called objective-based evaluation, in which the objectives were evaluated by the creation and use of a wound care referral algorithm in a laminated card and tracking the number of referrals to the Wound Nurse Practitioner in a tracking log. The data analysis was the evaluation of the raw number of referrals made to the Wound Care Nurse Practitioner before and after the use of the wound care referral algorithm. A referral algorithm was created and implemented, a tracking log used to measure the number of referrals made to Wound Nurse Practitioner, but the number of referrals did not increase by 10%. However, the use of an algorithm proved to be a best practice that helped define the appropriate use of resources, human and otherwise.
Recommended Citation
Arntson, Luciana T.. (2011). Wound Care Referral Algorithm. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/dnp_projects/10