The impact of specialised orthopaedic surgical nurses on operating room time.

Abstract

Objective

Proximal femur fractures (PFF) have been widely recognised as a significant social and health issue due to their costs and their impact on patient mortality, representing one of the most common types of fracture in the elderly population. The most commonly used procedures for this type of fracture are intramedullary nailing or endoprosthesis, depending on the fracture pattern. There is limited research on dedicated surgical teams in the fields of orthopedics surgery. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the importance of having a specialised surgical nurse and the impact this can have on surgical timings.

Methods

This study was conducted in a level - 2 trauma center. We evaluated all patients who underwent surgery at our hospital from January 1st, 2021, to January 1st, 2022. We divided the patients into two groups, based on the type of treatment performed, then further subdivided based on the presence or absence of a specialised surgical nurse in the operating room.

Results

A total of 167 patients were categorized into two groups: those treated with an intramedullary nail (n=72) and those receiving an endoprosthesis (n=95). Each group was further divided based on the presence or absence of a specialised surgical nurse. We noticed significantly shorter operative times in procedures assisted by specialised nurses: 55.37 min (σ 12.97) vs. 81 min (σ 32) for intramedullary nailing (p=0.0001) and 80.2 min (σ 27) vs. 91.48 min (σ 27) for endoprosthesis (p=0.04).

Conclusions

In conclusion, surgical time has a significant impact on elderly patients undergoing surgery for hip fractures. Therefore, a specialised team, including a specialist orthopedic nurse, which helps reduce operative time, is essential.