Advanced Practice Non Weight Bearing Coordinator
Thomas Bicknell1, Sophie Gore1, Kirsty May1
1Western Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Long stay non weight bearing (NWB) patients utilise significant bed days and pose complex challenges to discharge planning. To improve the consumer journey, the NWB Coordinator (NWBC) role was developed as an innovative new Advanced Practice Physiotherapy position, aiming to:
1. Establish a seamless journey for NWB patients
2. Improve access to best care delivered in the most appropriate setting
3. Develop standardised processes to improve consistency and effectiveness of communication
METHODS
A 0.6 EFT Advanced Practice NWBC role was developed, with a supporting credentialing package, consumer information, and other improvements to enrich patient journey and care provision. Care of patients commenced in August 2021, with models of care adapted due to COVID. The project formally concluded in August 2022 with evaluation via a pre-post implementation analysis.
RESULTS
1300 occasions of service were provided by the NWB Coordinator, with no adverse events. Early identification of those potentially at risk of a prolonged admission occurred.
Formal evaluation via a pre-post implementation analysis highlighted trends towards an improvement in average length of stay (-7.4 days), time to specialty review (-2.18 days), total time NWB (-6.3 days), and clear documentation of weight bearing orders (+47%). Responses to consumer and staff satisfaction surveys were positive and there was a high level of satisfaction with the NWBC.
CONCLUSION
Advanced Practice Physiotherapists are well suited to safely and effectively perform the innovative NWBC role in a substitution model. This initiative was a creative solution to improve the patient journey, experience and outcomes for NWB patients.
Biography
Kirsty May is the Physiotherapy Operations Lead at Western Health in Melbourne. She has strong interests in evidence based, collaborative and timely care and in optimizing discharge outcomes in complex presentations within the public hospital sector. Kirsty has a broad range of experience in clinical practice, continuous quality improvement activity, health service management and staff wellbeing.