Date on Paper
8-2021
Document Type
Doctoral Paper
Degree Name
D.N.P.
Department
Nursing
Committee Chair
Clark, Paul
Committee Member
Anderson, Debra
Author's Keywords
patient discharge; patient safety; satisfaction; quality improvement; discharge; education
Abstract
Nurses are not always confirming two patient identifiers while conducting a patient discharge, resulting in patient identification errors. This problem has been shown to significantly affect patient safety and satisfaction, decreasing both when errors are made. These errors also have heavy financial and legal consequences on the affected facility and on the discharging nurses, warranting a need for improvement. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to decrease patient-identification errors at discharge by increasing nurse use of two patient-identifiers through the implementation of an education program. This ten-week program involved education sessions that presented evidence-based material specifically focused on accurate and effective patient discharge, a pre/post-program survey measuring nurse attitude/perception and nurse comprehension/knowledge level, and a period of mentoring following the implementation period. The number of reported errors at discharge was evaluated before and after the program implementation to assess the effectiveness of the education. Nurse survey scores were evaluated both before and after education implementation to evaluate the effect that the education had on nurse attitude/perception and nurse comprehension/knowledge. There was no statistically significant increase in attitude/perception or comprehension/knowledge post-intervention; however, comprehension/knowledge was increased from a clinical standpoint. There was an 8.5% increase in comprehension/knowledge scores post-intervention and no identified patient-identification errors from January 2021 to the present. The intervention did not definitively prevent errors but was a factor that could have had an effect on these measurements. A patient identification-focused education program improves nurse comprehension/knowledge and accuracy of patient identification at discharge, leading to a reduced number of patient-ID errors and subsequent financial consequences.
Recommended Citation
English, Hannah, "Improving patient safety during the emergency department discharge process with the use of two patient identifiers." (2021). Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers. Paper 112.
Retrieved from https://ir.library.louisville.edu/dnp/112
