AN INVESTIGATION OF THE WORK A VISITING NURSE DID FOR PRE AND POST DISCHARGE

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify what kind of work a visiting nurse (VN) did for pre and post discharge. Seven patients in six stations who discharged in October and November of 2007 were targeted. We conducted self-recorded time study to investigate how long VN station staffs spend on the works for seven patients in six stations, and interviewed VN station staffs for further information about their works.
We found that VN station staffs not only visited patients' home but did a various kind of work. The contents of timing of work depended on the patients' medical condition, whether they had used the VN station before or not, or whether discharge planning had been done for them during initial hospitalization. As to the post discharge works, the time to contact other agencies was longer for the patient who had been discharged to home without any support or when the patient was in the terminal phase of the disease, compare to the time for other cases.
When the fee schema for VN service is discussed, patients' condition and the VN's amount of work on pre and post discharge must be taken into consideration.