Readiness for Hospital Discharge: Predictors and Outcomes in NICU Parents

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to identify Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) parent characteristics and nursing practice predictors of readiness for hospital discharge and to describe the relationship of parents\u27 perceived readiness for discharge to post-discharge outcomes of coping and health services utilization. Design: The study design was correlational and longitudinal. Data were collected within 4 hours prior to discharge and by telephone at 3 weeks post-discharge using the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale, Quality of Patient Education Scale, Care Coordination Scale, and Coping Difficulty Scale. Sample: Sixty-seven parents of NICU infants were enrolled and 55 (87%) complete data sets were obtained. Inclusion criteria were: English speaking, primary caregiver for the infant, at least 18 years of age. Results: Of parent characteristics, lower socioeconomic status predicted readiness for discharge. Patient education also predicted readiness for discharge, with skill of the educator and receiving more content than the parent\u27s perceived need as the significant unique predictors. Parents\u27 perceived readiness for discharge predicted their coping difficulty post-discharge and parents with higher readiness scores were less likely to call the hospital after discharge