Qualitative Research on Discharge Support by Hospital Nurses at Advanced Treatment Hospital

Abstract

The aim of this study was to clarify the present situation for the discharge support by hospital nurses at advanced treatment hospital.

Data were collected using semi-structured interviews as qualitative descriptive design with 6 nurses working at an advanced treatment and analyzed following Mayring’s theory of content analysis.

The discharge support was summarized into 6 categories. In the first category, for patients admitted for acute exacerbation of emergent and serious conditions, the nurses first actively assisted with physician-led care and “identified signs of recovery”. Once it was determined that the patient’s condition was such that recovery could be expected, the nurses provided discharge support categorized as follows : “recovery as people” and “environmental adjustments”, “adjustment of perceptions of the patient among medical staff” and “determining the coping skills of the patient and their family”. In addition, in the final category, the nurses addressed obstacles to discharge and “decision making for the patient and family depends on comprehensive management”. The nurses tried for a comprehensive understanding of the patients, who were in an unstable condition, through inter-professional work. Their motivations in providing this support appeared to be principles based on their views of nursing and their ethical standards.