Identifying Discharge Concerns: A Study

Abstract

This study demonstrated that patients who underwent a cholecystectomy or herniorrhaphy were able to identify concerns about discharge before going home. Knowing patients' discharge concerns may help the nurse plan their discharge education which in turn might help them cope with postoperative problems at home. Because a nonprobability small sample was used, the application of this study is limited; nevertheless, there is a great need to explore patients' discharge concerns. With the increased incidence of ambulatory surgery, there is limited time for discharge planning, making it even more critical to research patients' perceptions of discharge.