SYSTEMATIC EVALUATION OF A NURSING INTERVENTION: DISCHARGE PLANNING.
Contributors: University of Iowa.
Published: 1992
Number of pages: 253
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery.
Description: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of four nursing discharge planning strategies on quality of care for hospitalized patients. The independent variable, a nursing model of discharge planning, was derived from the health care system model. Quality of care dependent variables were measured as patient outcomes. Specific patient outcomes were recovery from surgery, wound healing, perception of pain, perception of home management planning, and satisfaction with nursing care, for patients who had an abdominal hysterectomy for benign reasons.

A repeated measures field experiment was conducted with subjects randomly assigned to four groups: discharge planning with teaching and home management planning (n = 7), discharge planning with only home management planning (n = 6), discharge planning with only teaching (n = 7), and routine discharge procedures (n = 6). The Wolfer-Davis Recovery Inventory and the Numerical Rating Scale for Pain were two previously standardized tests used for this study (Whitaker & Warfield, 1988; Wolfer & Davis, 1970). The Patient Wound Assessment, Pain Perception Scale, Perception of Home Management Planning, and Patient Satisfaction with Quality of Care Questionnaire were instruments developed for use in this study.

Split-plot analysis for the dependent variables did not reveal an interaction or intervention effect. Continuing a routine discharge procedure for women with abdominal hysterectomies for benign reasons is appropriate for maintaining quality of care. This intervention is then cost effective and realistic to complete for patients undergoing a short hospital stay.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-07, Section: B, page: 3398.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, 1992.

School code: 0096.