A study of the competence of professional nurses in discharge planning for hip fracture patients

Abstract

 This research aimed to study the competencies of professional nurses in discharge planning for hip fracture patients, and to develop and pilot an assessment tool for discharge planning competencies. The sample consisted of 108 professional nurses at both operational and expert levels. Eighteen professional nurses were interviewed, and the competencies of 90 nurses were assessed using the developed assessment tool, which had a Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient of 0.95.
Qualitative results showed that the sample suggested emphasizing competencies in professional ethics, leadership personality, respect for human dignity, knowledge of the disease, informing patients about their treatment plans, self-care, attending appointments, preventing complications, and using educational materials such as brochures, videos, e-books, and QR codes to disseminate information to community health volunteer teams. Quantitative results showed that the majority of the sample had competencies in professional ethics and nursing conduct, discharge planning skills, and nursing skills, scoring above 80%. However, competencies in communication and information technology use were relatively low and need improvement for more comprehensive and up-to-date discharge planning for hip fracture patients. To be effective and a best practice.