Continuity of care: discharge planning and community nurses

Continuity of patient care between hospital and community is becoming increasingly important with a trend to shorter hospital stays and more care in the community. This paper describes how community nurses determine patient care provision after hospital discharge. The research presented is a component of a larger study exploring the interface of hospital and community nursing services. Semi-focused interviews were conducted with twelve community nurses to elicit their perceptions and experiences of discharge planning. The findings revealed that although discharge planning influenced continuity of care, community nurses make autonomous decisions about the provision of care to patients in the community setting.