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Admission and discharge practices: High Dependency Unit audit outcome.
Alan Tulloch1, Chris How, Marjorie Brent
1School of Nursing and Midwifery, Curtin University of Technology, and Curtin University - Joondalup Health Campus.
Contemporary Nurse
|March 14, 2007
Summary
This audit of a nurse-led High Dependency Unit found adherence to patient admission and exclusion guidelines. However, poor documentation of patient status and care plans during transfers poses a significant risk.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Healthcare Management
- Patient Safety
Background:
- Nurse-led High Dependency Units (NSUs) are critical for managing complex patients.
- Effective admission and discharge protocols are essential for patient safety and continuity of care.
- Auditing unit practices ensures adherence to guidelines and identifies areas for improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of inclusion/exclusion guidelines for NSU admissions.
- To characterize patients admitted to the NSU.
- To assess adherence to admission protocols, including documentation of patient condition, care plans, and medical reviews.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective audit of admission and discharge practices.
- Analysis of patient data from September 2004 to March 2005.
- Inclusion of 154 patients admitted to the NSU, excluding pilot study participants.
Main Results:
- Patients admitted were primarily elderly, requiring close nursing supervision.
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria were generally met.
- Documentation of patient status and care plans was frequently incomplete or absent during inter-hospital transfers.
Conclusions:
- While admission criteria were followed, significant gaps in transfer documentation were identified.
- Incomplete documentation during patient transfers presents a considerable risk to patient safety.
- Further research is needed to develop effective transfer documentation strategies ensuring continuity of care.
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