Nursing discharge plan promotes therapeutic adherence

(HealthDay)—A nursing discharge plan is effective for promoting therapeutic adherence for patients discharged from the psychiatric intensive care unit, according to a study published online Feb. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Michele Virgolesi, R.N., from Santa Maria delle Grazie Hospital in Naples, Italy, and colleagues examined the extent to which a nursing discharge plan could promote therapeutic adherence among patients in the psychiatric intensive care unit in a prospective correlational study. Data were included for 135 patients.

The researchers found that adherence to treatment was higher for patients who received more information on their health status and on what would be done for them after hospitalization. The rate of adherence to treatment plan was higher for patients who were more satisfied with the nursing care provided.

"The interpersonal and educational nursing intervention improves adherence to a treatment plan by allowing patients to express themselves not only as individuals who rely on health care but also as protagonists able to effectively manage their disease and to empower themselves by acquiring disease management skills," the authors write.