Prevention of delay in the patient discharge process: an emphasis on nurses' role

Planning for a patient's postdischarge needs care does not begin on the day when decision is made to release the patient from the hospital. It is generally accepted that discharge planning should start before admission (for a planned admission) or at the time of admission (for an unplanned admission). A combination of individual factors, most notably age, medical factors such as presence of multiple pathology, and organizational factors such as lack of alternative forms of care facilities put patients at risk of delayed discharge. Moreover, lack of nurses' participation also contributes toward the delaying of discharge. In this article, the author provides strategies to improve nurses' participation in discharge planning and discusses the importance of involving patients and their caretakers in decision making.