Discharge instructions

[leejmac]

What do you tell your patients? about self management at home? Can you elaborate?

[pers]

Is this homework? Because your question doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Different patients have different needs and their discharge instructions (should) reflect that. It's like asking what I would include in a careplan, it depends on the patient.

[WSU_Ally_RN, BSN, RN]

depends on the pt... what kind of specific pt population do you take care of??

[leejmac]

I am most interested in what you tell your patients what to do at home, say after abdominal surgery and ENT surgery?

[leejmac]

I am looking at adult patients.

[BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

Discharge instructions for post abd surgery would be way different than ENT surgery. The discharge instructions depend on the needs of the pt, including wound care, any special diet instructions, medication instructions, when and where to follow up, any signs and symptoms to look for that require a call to the doc or a trip to the ER. These will be very different depending on the pt.

[merlee]

Still too vague - what exactly do you need to know? Read what was given to your family member or friend.

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

All discharge instructions these days are written out usually in detail so the nurse and the patient can go over it and both sign. As a nurse never sign off unless you're sure the patient understands and all the ducks are in a row....meds, wound supplies, doc appointments, home health, etc...of course it's going to be different depending on where the patient was. OB as opposed to ICU will have totally different instructions individualized to the patent's needs.

[leejmac]

Discharge instructions for post abd surgery would be way different than ENT surgery. The discharge instructions depend on the needs of the pt, including wound care, any special diet instructions, medication instructions, when and where to follow up, any signs and symptoms to look for that require a call to the doc or a trip to the ER. These will be very different depending on the pt.

Thank you for replying. I would like to know what RN's tell their patients about how to get into a bath tub. How and when to fix their own meals...Is it alright to raise there hands above their heads. I am looking to see if anyone out there goes beyond the computer generated discharge instructions and if so what are you telling your patient. I am a PACU nurse and looking at this angle.

thanks