Evaluation and perceptions of a nursing discharge plan among nurses from different healthcare settings in Spain

PURPOSE: The exchange of information between different healthcare settings through a nursing discharge plan is essential for safe care. However, the factors contributing to achieving the most efficient exchange have not been well studied. This study aimed to evaluate and explore the perceptions of a nursing discharge plan from the perspective of nurses in different healthcare settings. METHODS: A mixed methods approach comprising a specifically designed ad hoc questionnaire (n = 437) and a focus group session (n = 8). FINDINGS: Overall, 66.1% out of 437 nurses, and especially those working in nursing homes, were satisfied with the nursing discharge plan. Lack of time to complete the report and poor information about both nursing diagnoses and patients’ social assessment were identified as problem areas. Some proposals emerged from the focus group: providing sufficient time for its completion, giving the nursing discharge plan a more flexible structure permitting more open-ended responses, requiring more information to be provided about the social and psychological situation of the patients, training nurses to use standardized language to avoid possible misinterpretations, and getting nurses from the different health care settings to work together in designing continuity of care plans. Elderly and low-income patients are found to need greater attention when filling out nursing discharge plans. CONCLUSIONS: The study has revealed key aspects that need to be improved and some recommendations in implementing the nursing discharge plan in our health area. These include that there should be more time provided to complete the NDP, and also specific details regarding the format, structure, content of the information that is communicated, and the prioritization of the patient profile. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-08109-9.