Medi-Nav Orientation Resource v6, 2024

3.4.3 Interactions with nursing staff Your daily work will involve liaising with ward and outpatient nursing staff, as well as nurse managers (NMs), nurse practice coordinators (NPCs), and clinical nurse consultants (CNCs). CNCs and NPCs provide invaluable assistance with ward practices and hospital procedures. They are senior members of the hospital staff whose primary role is to ensure that patients receive optimal care. Junior doctors are encouraged to talk to them about relevant issues, particularly where you have concerns. Always treat nursing staff with respect and remember that you share a primary goal – high quality patient care. Listen to their concerns, discuss the rationale for your clinical judgements and ensure that you can be contacted as required. 3.4.4 Discharge planning Discharge planning should commence as soon as possible after admission, as early referrals ensure timely discharges. When a patient is discharged, it is important that communication, preferably written, be made with the medical practitioner (GP or local medical practitioner) who is to provide the follow up treatment, provided the patient wishes this contact to be made. This ensures the exchange of information, which assists in the management of the patient. Planning must consider: + the patient’s medical, functional and psychological status, social circumstances and home environment + the availability of necessary rehabilitation, social and long-term care needs + patient and family involvement, wherever possible In planning the discharge of patients, staff should also consider the following: 3.4.5 Communication and discharge summary The Enterprise Discharge Summary (EDS) is a standardised clinical system used to generate discharge summaries, across Queensland’s public hospitals. It improves the way HHSs manage and distribute discharge summaries. The EDS application uses information from many existing specialist systems to create a legible, consistent, electronic discharge summary. It allows the summary to be delivered electronically to general practices in a secure, timely and standardised format. Further information about EDS is available on the Queensland Health intranet site: https://qheps.health.qld.gov.au/eds-and-the-viewer ( accessible on Queensland Health computers only) + communication with GPs + domiciliary care + inter-hospital transfer + transport requirements + interstate transfer + the patient’s social situation + follow up appointments + the patient’s financial situation + pharmacy requirements + the patient’s access to services + geriatric assessment (if applicable) + the patient’s home environment and suitability to return home + community health referrals