Patient Experience with an NP-Led Community Wound Care Service

Abstract

Aim: This study examined patient satisfaction with an NP-Led community wound care program.
 Background: Examining patient experience provides information to guide nurse practitioner (NP) practice regarding patient experience with wound care provided by NPs in Canada.
 Methods: This quantitative study utilized a Likert scale questionnaire to examine patient experience with a 12-week pilot NP-Led wound care service. The population included patients registered to receive community wound management through Southwestern Ontario LHIN.
 Findings: Forty-nine surveys were returned (response rate-42%). Participants reported positive experiences with NP care. Bivariate analysis (ANOVA) found no statistical difference between group means of the independent variables age, education, income level, marital status, and the dependent variable patient experience (p = >.05). Mann-Whitney U demonstrated gender to be statistically significant (p = 0.14); females had higher median scores than males, 4.8 and 4.6 respectively. Linear regression determined that Males were less likely to have a positive experience (F (1, 45) = 7.7, p =.008).
 Conclusion: Patients had a positive experience with the NP-Led wound care service. This study provides information that is useful when designing an NP-Led wound care program.