While nurses can't completely control patient flow, there are several things they can do to improve bed availability and reduce length of stay, according to a blog post from TeleTracking Technologies. Nurses can:
1. Advocate for proper patient placement.
2. Collaborate with other practitioners to expedite discharge when appropriate, and emphasize teamwork in a patient's care.
3. Facilitate transfers between units when appropriate — don't let it wait.
4. Know the status of each patient under their care.
5. Adhere to infection prevention protocol.
6. Allow receiving nurses to ask questions during handoffs.
7. Collaborate with social services before the patient is discharged.
For more explanation of any checklist item, click here.
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