Trauma nursing: an advanced practice case study

Trauma is the leading cause of death in people less than 40 years of age. Blunt or penetrating trauma injuries may be a result of gunshot wounds, stabbings, head injuries,burns, falls or motor vehicle collisions. Unlike other patients entering the health care system, trauma victims have no time for hospital preparation. The physiologic and psychosocial complications resulting directly from the traumatic incident provide response patterns not typical of other patients. Further to this unpredictability, the trauma patient usually sustains multiple system injuries, making it difficult to design critical pathways in care plans. The complexity is heightened by the patient's unique perception of the traumatic event, which can be even more important than the physical injury in determining the ultimate impact of the trauma.