What do you check before a patient's discharge ?

[Chimio]

This may be a dumb question, but I am in my last year of nursing school and we were never really taught this.

It's normal, since it is mostly about judgement but I was wondering (in general) what experienced RN were doing before allowing a patient to leave the floor?

[BeckyESRN]

All consults okay with discharge? all follow up appointments scheduled or phone numbers and timeframe provided? IVs removed? heart monitor off? medication reconciliation double checked? medications reviewed with patient/family, discharge instruction reviewed with patient/family, all questions answered, direct patient to call PCP with any questions or concerns after discharge, check room for any personal belongings(cell phone chargers get left behind a lot!) and all patients leave via wheelchair, at least where I worked. I think that covers it!

[Chimio]

Thank you so much for your answer!! It really gives me a better idea of what to do!:)

[Sour Lemon]

Above all else (so it seems), we cut off their hospital armband.

[BeckyESRN]

Above all else (so it seems), we cut off their hospital armband.

At our hospital we were not allowed to remove their armbands!

[Sour Lemon]

At our hospital we were not allowed to remove their armbands!

At my previous job we would literally chase them down the block to cut it off (for AMAs). We had a lot of homeless, drug-addict patients who refused placement and were likely to end up in questionable circumstances after leaving.

[sandytoes]

Discharge orders. Verify with provider they are ready to send them now. Then I take and chart a set of discharge vitals. Review discharge instructions, meds, follow up schedule/appointments. Answer any questions. Then I remove the heart monitor and IV. Check the room for all belongings, send their ride for the car, and pt taken to the door in a wheelchair.

I have more more than once found a patient suddenly hypotensive or febrile right at discharge time, hence my vitals check and waiting on the IV. Hate to have to stick them if they are staying after all...

[RainMom]

All of the above plus, if pt was using their own meds from home, be sure to return them before they go. We keep labels in multiple places to avoid forgetting to return the pt's home meds.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

D/C order. IV out and not bleeding. Cell phone charger, power cord for polar care. discharge instructions. equipment (walker/crutches), prescriptions-especially hard copies of narcs. Work/school letters, check the cubby/closet/drawers for belongings-it is amazing what sentimental things people leave and then try to track down after 3 more pts have been in the room they have been in. We have to make sure they have TED hose.

Hope this helps. there are little details that will drive you nuts. Of course it is the nurse's fault if the pt forgets their own belongings. And as PP said, anything checked into pharmacy or security of they came through the ED