The effect of discharge adjustment nurses participating in discharge support conference

Abstract

In St. Marianna University School of Medicine Hospital, the discharge planning nurses of the Medical Support Center (MSC) support both inpatients and outpatients at the request from the attending doctors. The preceding study showed that there was the difference in the number of days from hospitalization to making a transfer request depending on the discharge destination. It is suggested that one of the factors for the difference is on a medical person's image of a patients' recuperation after discharge.

In this study, the effect of increase in opportunity of the participation of discharge planning nurses to ward conferences was revealed. The number of days from hospitalization to making transfer request was shortened, but the number of days from the request to discharge did not change. As a result, the length of hospital stay was reduced.

In conclusion, participation of discharge planning nurses to the ward conference is a good opportunity for ward medical persons to re-assess inpatients after admission screening and also to acquire necessary knowledge in discharge support.