title: Effects of a multi-method discharge planning educational program for medical staff nurses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of an educational program on discharge planning for staff nurses that was developed to improve their knowledge, attitudes, and practice as well as the organizational climate regarding discharge planning.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quasi-experimental design was used. Participants were 256 staff nurses on general internal medicine units in a 1210-bed national university hospital in the Tokyo area. Two groups were studied: an education group consisting of 102 nurses from 4 units and a control group consisting of 154 nurses from 6 units. The 3-month education program included study meetings, periodic conferences, and home visits following discharge. The control group received no education. Both groups answered an anonymous self-administered questionnaire before and after the intervention period. For post-intervention group comparisons, analysis of covariance was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed the data obtained from 87 education group nurses (response rate: 85.3%) and 104 control group nurses (response rate: 67.5%). In the education group, knowledge increased post intervention regarding home visiting nursing services, the hospital discharge planning department, and two relevant Japanese laws related to discharge planning. In addition, the education group showed improvement in attitudes towards discharge planning. Likewise, co-workers' recognition of discharge planning needs and their support for discharge planning were significantly improved in education-group units compared with control-group units.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This education program was successful in strengthening knowledge of various systems related to discharge planning, improving the nurses' attitudes towards discharge planning, and impacting the climate of entire units; therefore, it was found to be effective.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Division, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigemi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zerwekh
authors.forename: Takuhiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Hikari
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tomura
authors.forename: Yukie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takemura
authors.forename: Sachiyo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murashima
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007564:Japan; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D010351:Patient Discharge