Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Collegian
Publisher
Elsevier
School
School of Nursing and Midwifery
RAS ID
36012
Funders
Edith Cowan University - Open Access Support Scheme 2021
Hollywood Research Foundation
Abstract
Background
Nurses play a key role in providing discharge education. With the increased demand for orthopaedic surgery and subsequent fast‐track surgical programmes resulting in reduction in hospital length of stay, obtaining patient feedback about discharge is important to inform nursing practice of discharge.
Aim
To explore patients’ experiences of discharge from hospital following orthopaedic surgery.
Methods
A descriptive qualitative study was undertaken with a sample of 34 patients discharged following orthopaedic surgery at a private acute Australian hospital. Individual semistructured telephone interviews were conducted and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
Findings
From the analysis, patient experiences have been described in three themes: (1) experiences of hospital discharge, (2) perceptions of discharge information, and (3) limitations of discharge information. Although participants reported being informed when discharged from hospital, more information about medication management, constipation, and wound care would have better supported their recovery to assist in their self-care.
Discussion
Discharge experiences and perceptions varied between participants, highlighting the importance of nurses and other health professionals, in providing discharge information to meet individual patient needs. This included improved communication, information about the discharge process, management of medication, wound, and prevention of constipation as part of recovery.
Conclusion
Patient feedback has highlighted that nurses need to provide more tailored discharge information for orthopaedic patients to support recovery to prevent postdischarge problems and hospital readmission.
DOI
10.1016/j.colegn.2021.05.001
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
Saunders, R., Dineen, D., Gullick, K., Seaman, K., Graham, R., & Finlay, S. (2022). Exploring orthopaedic patients’ experiences of hospital discharge: Implications for nursing care. Collegian, 29(1), 78-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2021.05.001