The Impact Of Nurse-Led Discharge Planning On Care Continuity

Abstract

Ensuring continuity of care after hospitalization is crucial in modern healthcare to maximize patient outcomes. Post-discharge Follow-up Care (PFC) has become an essential part of this effort, particularly with the incorporation of virtual platforms. The objective of this research is to comprehensively examine the experien[1]ces of nurses in delivering Post-discharge Follow-up Care (PFC) in order to enhance its implementation. Four main themes were identified via the process of thematic analysis: 1) "Nurses providing compassionate virtual care," highlighting the dedication of nurses in delivering empathetic care through virtual means. 2) "Challenges in resource management and coordination in continuing care," emphasizing the constraints and limitations faced in effectively managing and coordinating care resources. 3) "The crucial role of continuous documentation and coordination in patient care," underscoring the vital importance of ongoing documentation and coordination in ensuring seamless care for patients. 4) "Nurses' desire for advanced technology features to enhance patient and family-centered care," expressing the expectations of nurses for advanced features in technology that can improve the delivery of care focused on patients and their families. This research offers profound insights into the experiences of nurses in providing patient and family-centered care (PFC) using virtual platforms. It emphasizes the need of preserving emotional bonds with patients, even while interacting in a virtual setting. The difficulties encountered in managing and coordinating resources provide opportunities for improvement. Furthermore, the research emphasizes the essential need of precise record-keeping and effective collaboration amongst teams to guarantee the uninterrupted provision of high-quality healthcare. The nurses prioritize continual innovation in healthcare delivery to meet their expectations for technology developments. These results together contribute to the continuous development of virtual follow-up care practices, eventually improving patient outcomes and experiences outside of the hospital.