Virtual Nurse Discharge: Improving Patient and Nurse Experience

This case study reviews the virtual discharge nurse (VDN) process and its impact on patient experience and nursing workflow as an exemplar of an effective telehealth innovation at a community hospital 23-bed Short Stay Unit (SSU). At the SSU, the daily turnover rate of more than 50% of the unit census challenged the nurses’ ability to provide comprehensive individualized discharge education. SSU patient experience scores measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) reflected opportunities to improve the discharge process. Therefore, the direct care nurses on SSU suggested a trial innovation of a VDN to improve patient care and streamline workflow. The team designed a VDN process to provide the patient and their caregiver with an individualized discharge plan with personalized education without numerous patient care interruptions. The goals were to improve patients’ discharge process experience and nurses’ perceptions of SSU efficiency and workflow stress. Quality improvement discharge experience phone calls (n = 192) were used to evaluate differences between in-person and virtual discharge patient experiences. While traditional in-person discharge provided some benefits overall, VDN is an effective method of discharge education that improves patients’ understanding of their medications and positively impacts nurses’ perceptions of work stress.