Star Point 1: Discovery (Identify topic and practice issue) Identify the topic and the nursing practice issue related to this topic. (This MUST involve a nursing practice issue.) ​​​​​​​The topic, nursing practice issue, rationale and scope of the problem were clearly identified and described.

Hip fractures are quite common in the older population and are among the major causes of mortality and disability in this population. Even though recent improvements in medical technology for treating elderly patients have led to better fracture fixation and surgical outcomes, the discussion will focus on clinical pathways that have been created to improve patient outcomes even more while reducing the amount of time patients need to stay in the hospital after a hip fracture.

Briefly describe your rationale for your topic selection. Include the scope of the issue/problem.

Hip fractures are pretty common in older people and are one of the main reasons why they die or can't work. Even though technological advances in how older patients are treated have led to better fracture fixation and surgical results, clinical pathways have been made to improve patient outcomes even more while reducing the length of time they have to stay in the hospital after a hip fracture. These clinical pathways have also been devised to decrease the length of time a patient spends in the hospital. As the population ages and becomes more fragile, more and more people suffer hip fractures each year. Approximately $9 billion is spent each year in the United States to treat the 250,000 people who suffer hip fractures. By 2050, the estimated increase in the senior population might cause a doubling in the occurrence.