Clinical Nurse Leaders Improve Discharge Planning to Reduce Patient Length of Stay

Abstract

With the need for improved delivery of health care across the continuum, the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) role was utilized to improve discharge planning and decrease patient length of stay. The CNL role was adopted to improve patient outcomes and increase interdisciplinary communication. Postimplementation of initiatives to decrease patient length of stay, the average length of stay decreased by 0.5 days for discharges home estimating a realized cost savings of approximately $4 million annually and allowing for increased bed availability. Using the CNL role to improve quality outcomes has provided a more cost-effective approach to health care.