Date of Award

Summer 2024

Project Type

Thesis

College or School

CHHS

Department

Nursing

Departments (Collect)

Nursing

Program or Major

Direct Entry Master's in Nursing

Degree Name

Master of Science

First Advisor

Pamela Kallmerten

Second Advisor

Elizabeth Evans

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Effective discharge education is vital for improving patient care by enhancing health outcomes and reducing hospital readmission. When patients receive thorough and personalized discharge instructions, they are better able to manage their health, follow treatment plans, and identify symptoms needing further attention. This not only boosts patient satisfaction and safety but also reduces the strain on healthcare systems by decreasing preventable readmissions.

LOCAL PROBLEM:

Urgent care facilities serve diverse populations with a range of common, non-emergency ailments. The rapid service and walk-in availability often lead to a high volume of patients with diverse and complex medical needs. To eliminate unnecessary readmissions, effective patient discharge education tailored to patient understanding is essential.

METHODS:

This quality improvement (QI) project utilized the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were conducted to evaluate current challenges and perceptions regarding discharge education. An in-person intervention was conducted that provided clear instructions on how to provide enhanced patient discharge education utilizing the facility database and the use of the Flesch-Kincaid readability calculator.

INTERVENTION:

The intervention involved an initial survey to gauge nurses’ experience and knowledge of patient discharge education and readability scores. This was followed by an in-person training session on using the iMedConsent™ database and Flesch-Kincaid readability calculator. Nurses could ask questions and received a copy of the presentation. A post-intervention survey was conducted a week later to assess the interventions impact.

RESULTS:

Post-intervention surveys showed significant improvements throughout the unit. The QI project successfully enhanced discharge education in the urgent care microsystem by implementing standardized paperwork. The QI project increased written handout use by nurses from 36% to 78% and reduced discharge process dissatisfaction from 100% to 22%, demonstrating the effectiveness of the PDSA framework in enhancing discharge education.

CONCLUSION:

While the project did not meet its goal of increasing database utilization by 50%, it successfully improved discharge education in the urgent care microsystem. Standardizing paperwork and using tools like iMedConsent™ and the Flesch-Kincaid readability calculator led to more effective education, higher nurse satisfaction, and better resources use, demonstrating the value of targeted training and resource integration.

Keywords: Discharge education, Veterans, Urgent Care Microsystem, Flesch-Kincaid, PDSA framework, Quality improvement, Patient Education, iMedConsent™.

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