Between the hospital and home a “transitional care” layover is taking shape, focused on developing progressive mobility and functional independence. At the lead of this growing patient population are patients who require skilled nursing and rehabilitation.
“Mobility gets woven into the fabric of daily activity, rounds, and plan of care,” says Margaret Ecklund, RN, MS, CCRN, ACNP-BC. Ecklund authored an article that plumbs the details of transitional care titled “Progressive Mobility as a Team Effort in Transitional Care.” The article appears in the June issue of Critical Care Nurse.
Ecklund points out that in a culture of progressive mobility, team members hold one another accountable for the roles they play in safe mobility.
What triggered the rise of transitional care? According to a review of the article published by Newswise.com, patients who recently have been discharged from the hospital may move to a transitional care facility as their course of treatment focuses on helping them regain functional ability and independence.
Transitional facilities are described as healthcare environments where progressive care nurses care for patients with high acuity who require highly skilled nursing, but are not in intensive care. The diverse conditions that affect this patient population may include congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, and postoperative debility. Each of these require skilled nursing and rehabilitation.
Newswise.com reports that the article examines the benefits of early progressive mobility with a focus on the interdisciplinary collaboration for care in a transitional care program of a skilled nursing facility. The program’s goals are improved functional status, self care management, and home discharge with reduced risk for hospital readmission. The core culture of the program is interdisciplinary collaboration and team partnership for care of patients and their families.
Access the article abstract and full-text PDF by visiting the CCN website at http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/.
[Source: Newswise.com]
