Post Operative Use of CPM - Essay Example

The aim of the pilot study is to test the protocol that is recommended at this time to assure that it works well and produces good quality results for the patient as well as a reduction in the patient's length of stay. At the same time, documentation recommendations, as well as pain tolerance and post-op bleeding, will be analyzed. The pilot study will be carried out on the orthopedic floor. This will be discussed first with the orthopedic surgeons and then with the nursing management at the hospital that is responsible for this floor (Vincent & Chapman et.al. 2000). Once the evidence base is explained and it is cleared, patients will be permitted as needed for the pilot, assuring that they understand the new protocol.

Nurses on the floor will be educated and ten patients will be chosen for the pilot. Those patients will need to be post-operative knee with the need for CPM use and a few other co-morbidities as possible. For example, we do not want to include someone that is prone to infection because the likelihood is that the infection would skew the data collected. The results of the pilot will be studied to assure that there is improvement in cost, quality, and length of stay. The evaluation of the pilot will include physicians, nurses, and nurse administrators.

A positive result will mean a permanent change of the protocol.