A check on nurses' knowledge and sense of responsibility for discharge planning.

Nurse educators and managers have identified discharge planning as a critical step in the nursing process. Appropriate discharge planning has the potential to facilitate the patients' return to wellness and to provide a cost effective measure of health care. Staff nurses' and nurse administrators' knowledge of discharge planning is identified, as well as both groups' perceptions of the staff nurse responsibility relative to discharge planning. The results showed that staff nurses have significantly less knowledge than nurse administrators. A discharge planning program for implementation by staff development personnel is reported.