Why is it important for nurses to plan for the discharge of their patients?
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Once you leave hospital, it is important you continue to get the right healthcare and support from the right people. Discharge planning aims to make sure this happens. It is the link between the treatment you had in hospital and the care you will need in the community once discharged. Show
What is hospital discharge planning?Discharge planning is the development of a personalised plan to ensure the smooth transition of a patient from a health organisation such as a hospital to wherever the patient is going next — it might be home, residential care, respite care, palliative care or somewhere else. Good discharge planning can avoid complications after discharge from hospital, avoid errors with medications and may help prevent a person from being readmitted to hospital later on. Who is involved in hospital discharge planning?Discharge planning should involve the patient, carer, family and any staff involved in the patient’s care. Usually there will be one person, such as a discharge planner, who coordinates the process. What is included in hospital discharge planning?Discharge planning involves taking into account things like:
Discharge planning should ensure that all the services you need to support you once you leave hospital are in place. This might include things like community support with medications, dressings, food or cleaning. It might include aids and appliances to help you stay in your own home, independently. In some cases, it is simple. For example, you might be expected to leave hospital in 2 days with certain medications, and you might be told to see your GP 2 days after you get home. But if you have a chronic disease or need plenty of ongoing care, it could be more complex. It might involve you, your GP, other healthcare professionals, family members and carers. All of these people should have a copy of the discharge plan, so that everyone knows what they need to do to ensure that you have continuing care. Where appropriate, other people or organisations should have a copy too. These could include a residential care facility, rehabilitation services or community services. When is hospital discharge planning done?Ideally, discharge planning starts as soon as you are admitted to hospital. And ideally, it also involves you and your family, as well as hospital staff. If you are going in for elective surgery, the discharge planning may occur before you go into hospital — so appropriate care can be organised in advance for when you get out. What is a hospital discharge summary?A discharge summary is one part of a discharge plan. It is a document prepared while you are in hospital, usually by your hospital doctor. It is generally an electronic document, known as an electronic discharge summary (eDS). The hospital should send it to other healthcare professionals involved in your care, such as your GP or sometimes a pharmacist or carer. It is important your GP gets a copy of this document so that they know why you were admitted to hospital, what care you received and how to continue to care for you. A copy of the electronic discharge summary will also be added to your ‘my Health Record, unless you have opted out of having one. You may also be given a paper copy of the summary when you leave hospital. The discharge summary will explain:
Tips for a safe hospital dischargeHere are some questions you could ask yourself before you are discharged from hospital:
If you can’t answer those questions, please ask your hospital doctors and nurses for more information. It is their responsibility to make sure you have it all. If you still don’t have everything you need, ask for a nursing supervisor. More informationFind a healthcare service with healthdirect’s Service Finder tool or call 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria) for 24-hour health advice and information. ASK YOUR DOCTOR — Preparing for an appointment? Use the Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist. Why is discharge planning important?Hospital discharge planning is a process that determines the kind of care you need after you leave the hospital. Discharge plans can help prevent future readmissions, and they should make your move from the hospital to your home or another facility as safe as possible.
What is the nurse's role in the discharge planning?Essentially, the discharge planning nurse serves as a connection between in-patient care and follow-up or out-patient care. They help to make sure that the patient and their family understand exactly what to do after discharge to prevent injury and encourage healing. They are a crucial part of proper patient care.
When should the nurse begin discharge planning for a client?The process of discharge planning prepares you to leave the hospital. It should begin soon after you are admitted to the hospital and at least several days before your planned discharge. The January 23/30, 2013, issue of JAMA has several articles on readmissions after discharge from the hospital.
What are nursing priorities for discharge planning and teaching?Discharge planning should consist of four phases or activities: (1) patient assessment; (2) development of a discharge plan; (3) provision of services, including patient/family education and services; and (4) follow-up evaluation. An essential element of discharge planning is education.
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