Fragility Fracture Nursing

This open access book aims to provide a comprehensive but practical overview of the knowledge required for the assessment and management of the older adult with or at risk of fragility fracture. It considers this from the perspectives of all of the settings in which this group of patients receive nursing care. 
Globally, a fragility fracture is estimated to occur every 3 seconds. This amounts to 25 000 fractures per day or 9 million per year. The financial costs are reported to be: 32 billion EUR per year in Europe and 20 billon USD in the United States. As the population of China ages, the cost of hip fracture care there is likely to reach 1.25 billion USD by 2020 and 265 billion by 2050 (International Osteoporosis Foundation 2016). Consequently, the need for nursing for patients with fragility fracture across the world is immense. Fragility fracture is one of the foremost challenges for health care providers, and the impact of each one of those expected 9 million hip fractures is significant pain, disability, reduced quality of life, loss of independence and decreased life expectancy. 
There is a need for coordinated, multi-disciplinary models of care for secondary fracture prevention based on the increasing evidence that such models make a difference. There is also a need to promote and facilitate high quality, evidence-based effective care to those who suffer a fragility fracture with a focus on the best outcomes for recovery, rehabilitation and secondary prevention of further fracture. The care community has to understand better the experience of fragility fracture from the perspective of the patient so that direct improvements in care can be based on the perspectives of the users.
This book supports these needs by providing a comprehensive approach to nursing practice in fragility fracture care. 

Karen Hertz is is a registered nurse with extensive experience of clinical practice in a wide range of acute hospital settings with a focus on orthopaedic/trauma and orthogeriatric nursing as well as all aspects of adult nursing. She has developed a clinical career in the role of Advanced Nurse Practitioner in which she provides patient focused care, using advanced assessments skills and nurse prescribing privileges to provide autonomous clinical practice for patients within a trauma unit in a large University Hospital. She has a track record of national and international networking that includes membership of various boards and committees relevant to her practice and has co-authored several book chapters. 

Dr. Julie Santy-Tomlinson is a registered nurse with clinical interests in orthopaedics and trauma, wound management, tissue viability and nursing care of the older adult. She has worked in nursing education in the UK for over 20 years and currently works at the University of Manchester as a Senior Lecturer where she teaches a broad spectrum of nursing topics. She is also Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing and has authored, co-authored and co-edited numerous journal papers, clinical guidelines, books and book chapters.

“This is a resourceful, insightful, thorough discussion of the care of geriatric patients with fractures. The focus on older patients is important because of the increased risk and occurrence of fractures in this population. The book will be an asset to anyone caring for the elderly.” (Melody L.W. Schrock, Doody's Book Reviews, October, 2018)