Dedicated trauma care unit: an outcome-based model.
Trauma patients, families, nurses and surgeons all benefit from the collaborative atmosphere and centralization of resources in a dedicated Trauma Care Unit. The surgeons are in-house and available 24/7 for the patients, families, nurses and all members of the healthcare team. The team focuses on the discharge planning needs of the trauma patients from the day of admission through discharge. Additionally, equipment resources are consolidated for use by the TCU surgeons and staff. Nursing staff maintain their trauma knowledge and skills through ongoing education and competency validation. A previous study showed a reduced hospital length of stay for trauma patients who remained in the Trauma Care Unit for their entire stay. An effective follow-up program, documentation tool, trauma registry and technology are effective ways to measure short and long-term patient outcomes.