Effects of Authority on the Autonomy of Primary Nurses in Discharge Planning
Abstract
Discharge planning activities on a Primary Care unit were studied over a two-month period. The variable of increased authority for the professional nurse in discharge assessments was introduced in the second study month. A total of one hundred and seventy-six patients were reviewed for the number and type of referrals generated. The diagnoses of these cases were matched with the Foundation for Medical Care Evaluation (F .M.C.E.) list of potential referral diagnoses. It was found that the number and variety of diagnoses referred were increased during the second month. It was also found that the number of potential referral diagnoses that were not assessed for a referral decreased from twenty-eight in November to eleven in December. Home visits were made to both referral and non-referral cases in each of the study months. The visits substantiated the fact that certain diagnoses require discharge planning and should be placed on a "high risk" priority list for discharge planning assessments. Patients with diagnoses on the F.M.C.E. list who received a referral were more independent and successful in handling their health care needs than those who had not received a referral, but were also on the F.M.C.E. list of diagnases.