Discharge Planning for Neonates in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: A Scoping Review
Keywords:
Discharge planning, Neonates, Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Scoping ReviewAbstract
The effective discharge planning for neonates in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) is essential to ensuring a smooth home-care transition. The discharge preparation process plays a crucial role in facilitating this readiness. By identifying and implementing key components of a comprehensive discharge plan, healthcare providers can optimize outcomes for infants and their families. This scoping review aligns with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology. The systematic scoping reviews were sourced following the PCC framework published on CINAHL, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Directory of Open Access Journals from 2014 to September 2024.
A total of 382 articles were identified; following the screening, 57 reviews underwent full-text screening, and 21 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The key components of a comprehensive discharge planning process for neonates in Neonatal Intensive Care Units were identified and grouped into five points of preparedness as follows: 1) Medical preparedness 15/21 (71.42%), 2) Parental preparedness 17/21 (80.95%), 3) Home Care preparedness 11/21 (52.38%), 4) Support system preparedness 13/21 (61.90%), and 5) Follow-Up Care preparedness 15/21 (71.21%). This review has identified the five key components of a comprehensive discharge planning process for neonates in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that have a positive impact on neonatal outcomes. However, further applied research is needed to transfer this empirical knowledge into clinical practice.
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