This document discusses the process for discharging a patient from the hospital. It involves coordination between the medical staff, patient, and family to plan for the patient's care after leaving the hospital. The nurse is responsible for ensuring the patient is ready for discharge and that they receive instructions for medications, diet, follow-up care, and any other needs. Discharge planning involves teaching the patient and family to care for the patient at home as well as documenting the discharge instructions and type of discharge.

1. DISCHARGE OF THE CLIENT FROM THE HOSPITAL

2. INTRODUCTION
• The patient, the family, medical staff, nursing staff,
social worker, dietician all work together to
coordinate the discharge.
• The doctor plans the discharge with the patient and
leaves a written order on the patient’s chart.

3. • The patient may have concerns regarding managing own
care at home.
• Provisions such as home health care may be needed, as
ordered.
• Assessment needs to be done as to what help the
patient will need at home.
• Discharge planning involves the entire healthcare team.

4. DISCHARGE PLANNING /PREPARATION
1.Discharge preparation : Nurse is responsible for
ensuring that the patient is to be discharged.
• Discharge from the hospital should never come
unexpectedly to patients and his /her family members
• His /her discharge should be planned from the time of
his admission and he should be informed sufficiently
early of the day he or she can leave the hospital.

5. • Any discharge instructions reviewed with the
patient must also be put in a written form for the
patient to take home.
• They need to be specific, written in terms the
patient can understand, thorough, and legible.
• Make sure family members are notified of pending
discharge / for transportation.

6. PHYSICAL CONSIDERATION
* Physical interventions for the inpatient with
impaired activity include direct physical care related
to patients health problems for example,
Rehabilitation of the client.

7. PATIENT AND FAMILY TEACHING
• Patient and family teaching is vital important in
discharge planning.
• It will be planned before patient going to discharge
from the hospital.
• Nurse’s will have responsible and major role in
patients teaching.

8. TOPICS INCLUDED FOR PRE DISCHARGE TEACHING
• Medications and drugs
• Diet
• Wound care
• Using equipments
•

9. • Taking medications.
• Exercise programs.
• Physical therapy
• Changing dressings / bandages.
• Injections or respiratory treatments.
• Any home health care.
• When to follow up with the doctor.

10. DOCUMENTATION OF DISCHARGE
• Chart the date and time of discharge.
• How patient left the facility.
• Any special instructions given to the patient.
• Make a notation that the patient’s personal
belongings were sent with the patient.

11. TYPES OF DISCHARGE
* Planned discharge
* Transfer

12. TRANSFER
• Patients may be transferred from one room to
another for several reasons.
• Sometimes it is at the patient’s request for a
different type of room or a more compatible
roommate.
• Medical staff may request it – change in level of
care, i.e. ICU to Med-Surg or vice versa.

13. CONTINUE
• The nurse will collect the patient’s chart and
medicines.
• Document date / time of transfer; reason for
transfer; patient’s attitude toward the move.
• Introduce the patient to the personnel caring for
him/her in the new room.
• Orient patient to new room; comfort.

14. TYPES OF DISCHARGE
* LAMA (Left against medical advice) due to any personal
reasons of the patient.
* Absconded : Patient went out of the hospital without
doctors or other staff knowledge. Or patient may Abscond
or leave the hospital without any prior information

15. DISCHARGE PROCEDURE
• No patient should be discharged without the doctors
written orders.
• Instructions regarding further care, medications, treatment,
follow up etc
• Before the patient leaves the hospital, the nurse should
make confirm whether he has paid all the hospital bill.
• Patients and family teaching regarding medications, diet
and self – care.

16. • Handover the patient belongings