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Discharge planning: an exploratory study
Author(s) -
McKenna Hugh,
Keeney Sinead,
Glenn Anita,
Gordon Pauline
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of clinical nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1365-2702
pISSN - 0962-1067
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2702.2000.00384.x
Subject(s) - notice , documentation , standardization , nursing , multidisciplinary approach , service (business) , audit , discharge planning , medicine , quality (philosophy) , business , public relations , political science , accounting , marketing , philosophy , epistemology , computer science , law , programming language
• The desire to reduce the length of waiting lists in the modern health service means that strategies for decreasing the length of hospital stay are exercising the minds of service planners. • This has led to renewed emphasis on well planned discharge policies and procedures. • The aim of this study was to analyse all discharge policies and procedures currently in use in one large integrated NHS trust in Northern Ireland and formulate a Corporate Discharge Policy for general use in NHS trusts. • Objectives of the study included examining the current process of discharge, reviewing the interface between ward staff and district nursing services and examining the quality and standard of documentation in use. • Findings indicate the need for standardization of the discharge planning process and sufficient notice of discharge, and for clarification and education regarding staff roles, the importance of multidisciplinary working, and the lack of quality communication between acute and community services.