The importance of continuing nursing care by ward nursing staff for the promotion of hospital discharge support

Abstract

This survey investigated the methods to promote support for hospital discharge using 253 nursing staff members (abbr. ward staff) in the general ward of an acute hospital (response rate：84.6%). Multiple regression analysis showed that discharge support assessment was related to patients' long-term care insurance certification (abbr. LTC certification), understanding of their health care problems, and the length of ward work of the responders (abbr. ward length). The ward length was positively correlated to hearing ability regarding patients' anxiety, guidance to their post-discharge lives, and setting hospital discharge as a goal. The ward staff who were responsible for setting a goal for discharge were significantly less likely to identify a family structure or the LTC certification of patients, to ask about their request for post-discharged lives, and to give advice on their recuperation. It was suggested that the capability of doing something might not lead to practice.

It is important that the ward staff gather patients' information considering their post-discharge lives and give them proper advice on their recuperation. In this regard, the ward staff needs to have a view point of continuing nursing care. For the promotion of hospital discharge support, the ward staff should not set a goal simply for patients' discharge.