Inappropriate discharge

Nurses Safety

Published

I recently had a dislocated shoulder and was sedated before my shoulder can be reduced. Shortly afterwards, I was discharged home with my family. I remember being awake enough to be directed to walk somewhere but not alert enough to walk independently. As I walked from the stretcher to the wheelchair to be discharged, I nearly fell off the stretcher, bumped into the railings and the wheelchair a couple of times, passed out and when I woke up hours later I was in my bedroom at home. I remembered bits and pieces of the event but was very disappointed in the level of care I received.

Was that legal? Can someone be held responsible? Personally, I wouldn't have sent anyone home while they were sedated.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, OR, ICU.

The unfortunate part is insurance has strict guidelines and we are seeing more and more premature discharges. A patient has to meet certain criteria for insurance to authorize their stay. As far as being sent home sedated..on outpatient surgeries they make sure your vital signs are stable, you usually have to void before you leave..otherwise you're out the door hence the reason someone must be there to drive you. Even if we have a patient that comes in as an outpatient for a shot of phenergan with Demerol, we monitor them for 15-20 minutes and assist them to the vehicle ensuring they are put in the passenger seat. There are policies in place for these circumstances. I don't recall my ride home from a nephrectomy, nor do I remember the next day or two afterwards and that was after staying overnight in the hospital. May seem odd, but not uncommon.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I'm guessing you were given something called versed? (midazolam)

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

It is very common to be discharged after sedation/procedures/outpatient surgery. Many patients are still "woosey" but are perfectly appropriate to be discharged as long as they have a ride.

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