2nd year nursing student confused about discharge process and planning!

[meganadee]

Hi ladies and gents,

Im a second year studet nurse currently on my second ward placement and im becoming increasingly concerned over my confusion of the discharge process!

I understand that the OT, Physio, Doctors, Nurses and Social Services all play a role, but I am so confused as to how they all collaborate together.

Who starts the ball rolling? What input does each healthcare professional have?

What would my role be as a nurse?

Any help would be much appreciated! Thankyou ! x

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

In my area EVERYTHING regarding patient care is the responsiblity of the primary nurse, at least in getting it done. In an acute care setting each discipline will chart their intent or orders and when they are ready to D/C patient from their care. When the last one signs off on the chart then the patient can be discharged. In our rehab unit it is more formal. We have a discharge planning session every Wednesday that includes someone from each discipline, including MD. There is a round table discussion and the final disposition is charted by MD and signed off by RN.

[meganadee]

hi classicdame, thanks for getting back to me :) :)

so you would be the one to liase with the district nurse if needed, ensure any equipment needed is at home, arrange transport, and call pharmacy for drugs to take home?

sorry if I sound stupid but am I missing anything else?

On handover, I often hear that a patient is "for discharge planning" - to me that is very vague! x

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Case managers arrange the process if there are services needed.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I see you are not in the US. If you have discharge coordinators or case managers, they would be the ones to be notified of the planned discharge day/time, the discharge prescriptions for services, etc., and put the plan together, and then your job would be to make sure the arrangements made were appropriate and safe for your patient before you actually let him go out the door.

Otherwise, you'd do it all yourself, though you could delegate scheduling duties to nonclinical personnel, like a secretary. :)