Learning Objective #1: Summarize the evidence-based hospital practices that affect parents' readiness for dishcarge of their child from the NICU

Learning Objective #2: Discuss the outcomes on NICU parents perceived readiness post-discharge

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Readiness for discharge is typically a medical decision based on achievement of clinical criteria for discharge. Perceived readiness for discharge as a concept has mostly been used as an outcome measure of hospitalization. Few researchers have examined the factors that predict perceived readiness for discharge or the potential post-discharge outcomes of a patient's preparedness. When arranging discharge in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), not only the infant's readiness needs to be assessed, but parental perception of readiness as well. Parents must feel ready to assume total care for their infant at discharge to ease the transition home. Currently research does not exist on parent's perceived readiness for hospital discharge of their infant from the NICU. Therefore, this concept of parental perceived readiness and the associated predictors and outcomes was investigated. The study used a correlational design, examining 63 parents of NICU infants in a Level 3 NICU. On the day of discharge from the NICU, parents completed a survey assessing readiness for hospital discharge, nursing practices, and care coordination. At 3 weeks post-discharge a telephone survey conducted with the parents evaluated coping difficulty and health care utilization. Multiple regression analysis and t-tests for evaluation of differences were used. As a result of data analysis, parents of lower socioeconomic status perceived themselves as more ready for discharge of their infant. The more or less skill of the educator (nurse) predicts parent's perception of being more or less ready, respectively. Receiving more content than the perceived need predicts that parents feel more ready for discharge. Parents perceiving themselves as more ready at discharge experienced less coping difficulty post-discharge. In conclusion, parents of lower socioeconomic status, skill of the educator, and content difference are predictors of parent's readiness for discharge. Furthermore, parent's perceived readiness predicts their coping difficulty post-discharge.