To evaluate the effects of the organisational environment on hospital discharge readiness during public health emergencies.
An observational study.
A regression-discontinuity design approach was employed to assess the impact of the organisational environment on hospital discharge readiness. Adult patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction and discharged from the Cardiac Critical Care Unit of a tertiary hospital in Shanghai, China, were recruited. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to examine the associations between multiple factors at individual and organisational levels and hospital discharge readiness across three stages of pandemic policy changes.
A total of 411 patients were included in the analysis. The regression-discontinuity analysis revealed a significant discontinuity at the cut-off, indicating that policy-driven changes in the organisational environment during public health emergencies were associated with a 21.61% reduction in hospital discharge readiness. Additionally, family functioning and the quality of nursing discharge education were significantly associated with discharge readiness across all three pandemic stages.
These findings demonstrate that patient-perceived hospital discharge readiness is significantly influenced by changes in the organisational environment during public health emergencies. Future research should focus on developing targeted discharge preparation programmes that allow for organisational adaptation in response to emergencies, such as pandemics or natural disasters.
Organisational responses to public health emergencies need to prioritise enhancing discharge preparedness. This includes bolstering family involvement and ensuring that nurses are adequately trained to provide effective discharge education, especially when healthcare resources are strained.
The findings underscore the importance of adaptable and resilient discharge planning and transitional care, particularly in public health emergencies. Fostering an organisational environment that supports seamless discharge processes can significantly improve patient readiness for post-hospital care.
Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement.
No patient or Public Contributions.
To establish research priorities for Australian Nurse Practitioners and develop a robust research agenda.
A descriptive, exploratory approach was used and conducted in two stages.
Data were collected over two stages. Data for Stage 1 were collected from 14 December 2023 to 16 February 2024. For the Delphi rounds (Stage 2), data were collected from 11 March to 24 March 2024 for Delphi Round 1 and from 12 June to 26 June 2024 for Delphi Round 2. An exploratory survey was used in Stage 1 to identify clinical challenges and research themes perceived as important for Australian Nurse Practitioners. In Stage 2, a two-phased modified Delphi survey was conducted to prioritise the research themes identified in Stage 1.
A total of 315 participants responded to the exploratory survey, with a majority being female (77%), aged between 30 and 75 years. Participants were primarily employed in the public healthcare sector (60%), the private sector (23%), while 17% practised across both sectors. A total of 1335 challenges facing Australian Nurse Practitioners were identified. Sixty-nine participants completed the first Delphi round, and 33 the second, giving response rates of 21% (69/315) and 48% (33/69), respectively. The first Delphi round yielded 11 research themes. Seven of these yielded Content Validity Indices of < 0.90. Four research priority areas remained and were ranked in order of importance.
The identified Australian Nurse Practitioner research priorities will play a pivotal role in shaping policies, fostering the efficient integration of Nurse Practitioners into the healthcare system and advancing research capacity.
Nurse Practitioners are established providers of high-quality care internationally; however, they face persistent integration challenges in Australia. This study delivers a nationally relevant, consensus-based research agenda that identifies key priorities across clinical, educational and leadership domains.
No patient or public contribution.