Stephanie Jackson Discusses the Feasibility of a Discharge Lounge for Stem Cell Transplant Units
Stephanie Jackson, DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNS, BMTCN, discusses how collaboration between an oncology unit and discharge lounge can improve discharge times for patients who have undergone stem cell transplantation.
The use of a discharge lounge for patients undergoing stem cell transplant may prove an effective and safe strategy for facilitating swifter discharge and preventing bottlenecking, according to Stephanie Jackson, DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNS, BMTCN.
Jackson served as an investigator on a poster presentation regarding the utility of such a discharge lounge that was recently presented at the 47th Annual ONS Congress. In an interview with Oncology Nursing News®, she highlights the significance of this intervention and its potential to ease the burden for night shift nurses.
Historically, these patients were not always able to use the discharge lounge because of neutropenia and immunosuppression concerns, she explains. However, during COVID-19, it became a priority to help patients discharge as swiftly as possible to reduce their time in the hospital and increased risk of infection.
Through the collaboration between the Observational Unit Discharge Lounge and Oncology/SCT Unit, this ongoing project has demonstrated that this innovation may result in earlier bed availability for patients being admitted later in the day or in the evening.
