Purpose: To assess the surgical wound (SW) healing in orthopedic patients with Impaired tissue integrity according to the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC).
Methods: A prospective longitudinal study performed with 24 patients. Data collection was performed through an instrument containing the NOC indicators.
Findings: The indicators skin approximation, drainage, surrounding skin erythema, periwound edema, increased skin temperature, and foul wound odor presented a statistically significant increase when compared the means between the first and the last day of evaluation.
Conclusion: The NOC indicators allowed to monitor the SW healing indicating an improvement.
Implications for nursing practice: The NOC can favor an earlier identification of the degree of commitment for each patient and enables implementation of care to achieve target outcomes.
Keywords: Nursing; orthopedics; outcome assessment; wound healing; wounds and injuries.
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