Establishing a practice guide for visualizing and sharing musculoskeletal nursing: Assessment perspectives of postoperative excretory care for patients with proximal femur fractures viewed through nurses’ narratives

Abstract

This study aimed to establish a practice guide for visualizing and sharing assessment perspectives in musculoskeletal nursing according to the results of interviews with nurses regarding postoperative excretory care for patients with proximal femur fractures. The contents corresponding to the nurses' assessment perspectives from the coded and categorized data were extracted, classified, and organized based on commonality and similarity and further illustrated as a framework for practice guides. The 44 perspectives on excretory care assessment were organized into five categories: general condition, pain, motivation, muscle strength/body movement, and cognitive ability/comprehension. Pain and motivation were key factors in assessing a patient' s ability to move. Further, the entire movement was evaluated from both muscular/physical and cognitive/comprehension aspects to ensure safe movements in the toilet. The drafted practice guide included nurses' discursive reasoning, which is challenging to verbalize in daily practice. Thus, this draft is considered an effective teaching tool that represents practical nursing knowledge.