Nclexrn Flashcards: Discharge Planning And Continuity Of Care

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on Discharge Planning And Continuity Of Care, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for Nclexrn.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: Which action should the nurse take first to begin discharge planning for a patient?

Answer: Start planning at admission with an initial needs assessment. Early assessment identifies needs and resources, allowing timely coordination for effective discharge.

Flashcard 2: Which assessment finding most strongly indicates a need for case management referral?

Answer: Complex needs requiring coordination across multiple services. Case management optimizes resource use and outcomes for patients with multifaceted care requirements.

Flashcard 3: Identify the best discharge plan component to reduce falls in an older adult returning home alone.

Answer: Home safety evaluation and assistive device training as needed. Addresses environmental hazards and mobility issues, key factors in preventing falls among vulnerable elders.

Flashcard 4: What is the nurse's legal responsibility when providing discharge teaching?

Answer: Provide and document patient-specific discharge instructions. Meets legal standards for patient education, ensuring comprehension and reducing liability risks.

Flashcard 5: Which option best describes an appropriate referral for a patient who is homebound and needs skilled care?

Answer: Home health services for intermittent skilled nursing/therapy. Delivers necessary professional care in the home setting for patients unable to travel.

Flashcard 6: What is the nurse's priority action when a patient cannot afford prescribed medications at discharge?

Answer: Notify provider/case manager to arrange affordable alternatives. Ensures medication access and adherence, preventing treatment failure and readmissions.

Flashcard 7: Which patient statement indicates correct understanding of when to seek urgent care after discharge?

Answer: "I will seek care immediately for worsening symptoms or red flags.". Demonstrates awareness of critical indicators, enabling timely intervention to prevent complications.

Flashcard 8: What is the priority discharge teaching for a patient with a new central line at home?

Answer: Aseptic technique, site care, flushing protocol, and infection signs. Focuses on infection prevention and management, critical for reducing life-threatening complications at home.

Flashcard 9: What is the priority nursing action if a patient refuses the discharge plan and wants to leave?

Answer: Assess decision-making capacity and notify provider; document refusal. Safeguards autonomy while ensuring capacity evaluation and legal documentation for potential risks.

Flashcard 10: Which information must be included in a complete discharge medication list for the patient?

Answer: Name, dose, route, frequency, indication, and stop/start changes. Provides comprehensive details to promote safe self-administration and continuity of therapy.

Flashcard 11: What is the key distinction between home health and hospice services?

Answer: Hospice is comfort-focused for terminal illness; home health is restorative. Hospice emphasizes palliation for end-of-life, while home health aims at recovery and function improvement.

Flashcard 12: Which discharge instruction is highest priority for a patient starting a new high-risk medication?

Answer: Indications, dosing schedule, and specific adverse effects to report. Prioritizes patient safety by addressing key elements that prevent misuse and prompt intervention.

Flashcard 13: Which action should the nurse take when an interpreter is needed for discharge teaching?

Answer: Use a qualified medical interpreter, not family members. Ensures accurate communication and cultural sensitivity, avoiding misinterpretations from untrained interpreters.

Flashcard 14: Which finding requires the nurse to delay discharge and notify the provider?

Answer: Unstable vital signs or uncontrolled symptoms requiring treatment. Indicates medical instability, necessitating further intervention to ensure safe discharge.

Flashcard 15: What is the purpose of medication reconciliation during transitions of care?

Answer: Prevent omissions, duplications, interactions, and dosing errors. Safeguards patient health by identifying and correcting discrepancies during care transitions.

Flashcard 16: Identify the most appropriate method to evaluate patient understanding of discharge instructions.

Answer: Teach-back method with patient return demonstration as indicated. Confirms comprehension through active patient participation, enhancing adherence and safety.

Flashcard 17: Which discharge destination is most appropriate for a patient needing $24$-hour supervision but not acute care?

Answer: Skilled nursing facility or long-term care facility. Offers supervised care for stable patients needing ongoing assistance without hospital-level interventions.

Flashcard 18: Which factor is the strongest predictor of readmission that the nurse should address in discharge planning?

Answer: Inability to manage self-care and medications after discharge. Poor self-management increases complications, making it a critical focus to reduce readmission risks.

Flashcard 19: What is the primary goal of discharge planning in nursing care?

Answer: Safe transition to next setting with continuity of care. Ensures seamless care delivery, minimizes risks, and promotes optimal patient outcomes post-hospitalization.

Flashcard 20: What is the best definition of continuity of care?

Answer: Coordinated, consistent care across settings and over time. Facilitates seamless transitions, prevents gaps in treatment, and improves long-term health management.

Flashcard 21: Identify the best nursing action when a patient with low health literacy nods but cannot restate instructions.

Answer: Use plain language and teach-back; revise teaching until accurate. Adapts teaching to literacy level, ensuring accurate understanding and effective self-care post-discharge.

Flashcard 22: Which discharge plan element best supports adherence for a patient with multiple daily medications?

Answer: Simplified schedule and pill organizer with written medication chart. Simplifies complex regimens, reducing errors and improving compliance in polypharmacy scenarios.

Flashcard 23: Identify the most appropriate follow-up plan after hospitalization for heart failure.

Answer: Early follow-up visit and daily weights with symptom action plan. Monitors for decompensation early, enabling prompt adjustments to prevent exacerbations and readmissions.

Flashcard 24: What is the nurse's priority when a caregiver expresses inability to provide required home care?

Answer: Reassess discharge plan and arrange alternative supports/placement. Protects patient safety by adapting plans to available support, preventing neglect or complications.

Flashcard 25: Which document best ensures accurate information transfer to the next level of care at discharge?

Answer: Complete discharge summary including diagnoses, meds, and follow-up. Facilitates informed care by providing essential details to receiving providers, minimizing errors.