The quality of discharge teaching is statistically linked to decreased readmission rates. Nursing most often bears the major responsibility of patient and caregiver teaching. Currently, discharge teaching is complicated by problems including time constraints, patient and caregiver overload, and coexisting comorbidities that add complexity to the patient's care needs at home. Not only are readmissions a preventable cost, more importantly, but they also are a negative patient experience signifying to our patients that they are unable to optimally care for themselves or that their disease or healing is not something they can care for alone. The following is a review of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's IDEAL discharge process, common problems in discharge teaching, and nursing's responsibilities with assessing a patient and his or her caregiver for discharge readiness. IDEAL is a structured discharge process with tools to help healthcare organizations improve their discharge process to decrease readmissions rates.

Background Engaging families through patient- and family-centered care (PFCC), the NICU nurse upholds the core concepts providing holistic care. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic altered the daily routine of visiting parents to hospitals around the nation, particularly for pediatric and neonatal populations. Methods This paper describes innovative strategies implemented in a large Level IV NICU to promote the core concepts of PFCC that ensured parent-infant bonding while limiting exposure to a pandemic infection, such as COVID-19. Discussion Strategies discussed include virtual visits between parents and infants to promote bonding; virtual parent support groups to encourage information sharing; remote music therapy options which included take-home music kits; diaries, albums, and celebration boards to support participation; among others. Parent collaboration throughout implementation promoted partnership. Conclusion Utilizing a variety of unique and innovative approaches to promote PFCC strategies became a critical component of routine planning and care delivery for one large neonatal intensive care unit.

Nurses are lifelong learners who are always seeking ways to improve and perfect their skills. Test item writing is a skill that must be practiced and perfected over time. Often, nurses in a clinical role are promoted to the role of nurse educator without receiving training on how to write good test questions. This article presents nine tips for item writing to help nurse educators and clinical educators to create better test questions [ J Contin Educ Nurs. 2019;50(1):12–14.].

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