OPTIMA NLU

Projektname
A feasibility study to develop, implement and evaluate a hospital based nurse-led unit (NLU) for patients at high biopsychosocial and low medical risk

Forschungsleitung
Petra Schäfer-Keller

Forschungsteam
Petra Schäfer-Keller (Division of Clinical Nursing Science, Cantonal Hospital Aarau, KSA), Barbara Reutlinger (Director of Nursing/MTTD, KSA), Ruth Schweingruber (Projectleader OPTIMA, KSA), Susanne Schirlo (Head Nurse Manager, medical division, KSA), Priska Scimonetti (medical ward, KSA), Beat Müller, Werner C. Albrich with team (OPTIMA, KSA), Sabina De Geest (Consulting Partner, INS)

Zusammenarbeit mit
Kantonspital Aarau

Laufzeit
2008 bis 2012

Projektbeschreibung
A nurse led inpatient unit (NLU) is one of a range of services that have been considered in order to manage more successfully the transition between hospital and home for patients with extended recovery times. Typically, a NLU contains specialized nursing services for medical stable patients within an in-patient environment. The case mix is based on nursing needs and the (multidisciplinary) clinical team is led by nurses, who have the authority to admit and discharge patients (Griffiths et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Apr 18;(2):CD002214).
The aims of this mixed methods study is to develop, assess and evaluate a NLU for post-acute patients with in OPTIMA and to assess and evaluate the feasibility of the NLU from the perspective of the institution, collaborators and patients. Factors assessed for this evaluation at the institutional level are number of patients admitted to the NLU and costs; at the health care provider level, NLU acceptance, satisfaction with the quality of provided care and adverse events; and at the patient level, NLU acceptance, satisfaction with the provided care and adverse events.