SCIRehab Project Series: The Supplemental Nursing Taxonomy

J Spinal Cord Med, 2009 · DOI: · Published: June 1, 2009

Spinal Cord Injury Patient Experience Nursing

Simple Explanation

Rehabilitation nurses play a crucial role in the recovery of individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) by providing direct care, education, and support. However, the extent of their contributions is often not well-documented. To address this gap, a group of nurses from six SCI centers collaborated to create a detailed system for classifying and documenting nursing interventions, focusing on patient education and care management. This system was then used to track the time spent on various educational and care activities, along with the patient's level of participation, aiming to provide a more accurate picture of the impact of nursing care on patient outcomes.

Study Duration

9 months

Participants

1,500 SCI rehabilitation patients

Evidence Level

Practice-based evidence

Key Findings

1
A taxonomy of nursing patient education efforts and care management was developed, consisting of 10 education and 3 care management categories.
2
The point-of-care system includes time spent on each category along with an indication of whether the patient and/or family received the education/care management.
3
A subjective measure of patient participation in nursing activities is included.

Research Summary

This article describes a process to capture these nursing interventions. Creation of a SCI rehabilitation nursing taxonomy is feasible, and its use has had an impact on nursing practice. It also has implications for future clinical documentation, because greater accuracy and details of patient education and care management will be a permanent practice in the participating systems at the conclusion of the study.

Practical Implications

Improved Documentation

The taxonomy provides a structured way to document nursing interventions, specifically patient education and care management, which were previously lacking in detail.

Enhanced Understanding of Nursing Impact

By quantifying the time spent on education and care management, the study aims to better understand the relationship between nursing interventions and patient outcomes.

Future Practice Changes

The participating facilities anticipate making the documentation changes implemented for the study permanent, leading to more comprehensive nursing records.

Study Limitations

1
The study relies on nurses' accurate and consistent documentation of their activities.
2
The subjective measure of patient participation may be influenced by individual nurse perceptions.
3
The focus on 10-minute increments for education may not capture the full impact of shorter, but frequent, interactions.

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