Objective:

To describe and to analyze the clinical role performed by the advanced practice nurse in complex chronic wounds (APN-CCW) in Andalusia, regarding the follow-up of patients with chronic wounds.

Methods:

Cross-sectional descriptive study in the Poniente of Almería Districts, of the H.M.A. Jaén NorthNortheast, H.M.A. Serranía de Málaga and the Metropolitan District of Granada between June 2015 and June 2018, measuring descriptive variables such as: etiological diagnosis of chronic wounds, evolution time before referring to APN-CCW, healing, improvement, worsening and deaths rates, total of chronic wounds, referral rates from APN-CCW to hospitals.

Results:

A total of 767 people with chronic wounds were followed up, and 70% of all of them were pressure ulcers, venous ulcers and diabetic feet, with an average of 21 monthsevolution of all injuries and whose derivation from APN-CCW to hospital specialists was 13.82%, with more than a 86.18% (n=661) of patients effectively managed by APN-CCW. The direct derivation of patients to the medical specialists office since the implementation of the figure was only 5%, with the significant cost savings that this supposed, besides, the APN-CCW attended almost one in every 4 chronic wounds, no consulting.

Conclusions:

The clinical role and coordination of the APN-CCW in patients with chronic wounds is effective in improving care.

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