The Admission and Discharge Nurse Role: A Quality Initiative to Optimize Unit Utilization, Patient Satisfaction, and Nurse Perceptions of Collaboration

Abstract

<p>Registered nurses are at the frontline of the hospital admission and discharge process. Efficiency and collaboration during these processes are critical to the patient care experience and the promotion of safe, high quality care. The aim of this quality improvement initiative was to assess the satisfaction of patients and nurses during the admission and discharge processes as they are streamlined through the initiation of the admission and discharge nurse role. The findings in this report provide insight into the effectiveness and efficiency of such initiatives, highlighting an increase in the number of admissions and discharges and the time taken for completion, in addition to improved nurse satisfaction with the collaborative efforts of the initiative. Understanding the complex health care environment and the need for collaborative relationships among the intraprofessional nursing team is essential to the creation of quality initiatives that focus on the provision of safe and effective care.</p>