Error loading player: No playable sources found

P022

Navigating Discharge Planning Phone Calls in Orthopedics


Purpose: While a nursing discharge planning processes existed within the ambulatory care orthopedic practice, the post-pandemic changes of the total arthroplasty patient prompted further examination and redesign of the existing processes for scope of licensure, resources utilization and assessment of telehealth standards within scope of practice of the licensed practical nurse (LPN).

Description: The department of orthopedics has a strong history of prioritizing successful dismissal post-surgery processes by addressing dismissal plans early in the perioperative process. During the COVID pandemic, the total joint arthroplasty practice needed to shift to outpatient surgery more quickly than initially planned. This change in practice increased the importance of preoperative discharge planning. To align with organizational practice redesign and role optimization priorities, the previous registered nurse (RN)-led process was converted to a purely LPN-led process and optimized for practice and role efficiency adhering to telehealth best practices.
Reviewed process to determine potential to standardize. Established a standard workflow for communication with multidisciplinary team members. Developed functional work queue to optimize call prioritization and reduce rework. Developed training incorporating telehealth best practices. Standardized the process flows and consolidated documentation for multiple joint replacement procedures.

Evaluation/outcomes data was collected on the discharge planning phone calls to assist in determining call volume of the orthopedic surgical population reached pre- and post-implementation of the new process. Nursing satisfaction was evaluated pre- and post-implementation by anonymous electronic survey method. A work group consisting of orthopedic nurse leaders and departmental LPNs was created to identify inefficiencies in the current discharge planning phone call procedure and seek multidisciplinary input from stakeholders involved in the process. The LPN group created a standardized process, resource toolkit, telehealth best practice education, and electronic health record report to assist with providing an efficient and quality experience for both the patient and the nursing staff.

Learning Objective

  • After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to assess innovations being used by other professionals in the specialty and evaluate the potential of implementing the improvements into practice.

Speakers

Speaker Image for Kelsie Nelson
Kelsie Nelson, MBA/HCM, RN
Ambulatory Nurse Manager, Department of Orthopedics, Mayo Clinic

Related Products

Thumbnail for Lifestyle Nursing – An Exciting New Field for Ambulatory Care Nurses
Lifestyle Nursing – An Exciting New Field for Ambulatory Care Nurses
The US is an outlier when it comes to healthcare spending. According to the Commonwealth Fund, the US ranks 11th out of 11 industrialized countries studied in global healthcare system performance for four of the top five indicators, ranking in the top 2 for only one indicator care process…
Thumbnail for Digital Post-Discharge Outreach: A Value-Driven, Accessible Approach to Improving Care Transitions
Digital Post-Discharge Outreach: A Value-Driven, Accessible Approach to Improving Care Transitions
Purpose: The purpose of instituting a digitized post-discharge outreach is to create a more efficient, consistent, patient-centric, and data-driven approach to care transitions…
Thumbnail for Triage in Maternal Fetal Medicine: Reducing Appointment Reschedules
Triage in Maternal Fetal Medicine: Reducing Appointment Reschedules
Staff of maternal fetal medicine (MFM) identified inefficiencies in the scheduling processes causing unnecessary rework and inhibiting patient care. Many patient interventions and follow-up tests are dependent upon gestational parameters, making the timing of appointment critically important…
Thumbnail for Nursing Students Practicing Medication Reconciliation amongst Low-English Proficiency Patient Population in Clinic and via Telehealth
Nursing Students Practicing Medication Reconciliation amongst Low-English Proficiency Patient Population in Clinic and via Telehealth
Purpose: The purpose of this nursing students’ evidence-based project, as part of a population health clinical rotation, is to abridge discrepancies and misunderstandings that persist in medication management for low-English proficiency patients, both via in-person interaction and via telehealth en…
Privacy Policy Update: We value your privacy and want you to understand how your information is being used. To make sure you have current and accurate information about this sites privacy practices please visit the privacy center by clicking here.