Predictors of Readiness for Hospital Discharge After Birth: Building Evidence for Practice

ABSTRACT BackgroundPreparation for hospital discharge after birth became a global concern when hospitals in many developing countries began implementing shorter lengths of stay for uncomplicated deliveries. A mother's perceived readiness for hospital discharge may be influenced by many factors that can ultimately shape postdischarge outcomes. AimsThe purpose of this study was to explore the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum predictors of discharge readiness, including nursing educational practices that are predictive of postpartum mothers’ perceptions of readiness for hospital discharge. MethodsThe Adaptation to Transitions conceptual framework guided the descriptive correlational study design and measures. A purposive sample of 185 English‐ and Spanish‐speaking postpartum mothers who experienced an uneventful vaginal or cesarean birth of a healthy infant completed demographic, quality of discharge teaching, and readiness for hospital discharge questionnaires prior to discharge. ResultsMothers with three or more children, delivery mode, bottle‐feeding, the delivery of education, and the difference between educational content received and needed, were significant predictors that accounted for 42% of the variance in readiness for hospital discharge (R2 = 0.42, F[10,174] = 14.52, p < .001). Nurses’ skill in teaching and educational content received were significant predictors even with parity, feeding, and delivery mode in the model. Linking Evidence to Action...
Source: Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing - Category: Nursing Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research