📖 ABSTRACT/OVERVIEW
Discharge planning is a structured process that prepares orthopaedic patients for safe transition from hospital to community care, reducing readmissions and improving long-term outcomes. Despite evidence of its value, discharge planning in Nigerian orthopaedic units is inconsistently implemented, often fragmented, and rarely led by specialist nursing staff. This mixed-methods study evaluates the role of the Clinical Orthopaedic Nurse Specialist (CONS) in improving discharge planning practices at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, South West Nigeria. The study compares readmission rates, post-discharge complication rates, and patient satisfaction between a cohort managed with CONS-facilitated structured discharge planning and a historical control group without specialist nurse involvement. Qualitative interviews with nurses, patients, and physiotherapists will explore the perceived impact and challenges of the CONS role. Mixed methods integration will frame the findings within the context of specialist nursing practice. The study hypothesises that CONS-facilitated discharge planning significantly reduces 30-day readmission rates. Recommendations will be presented to the nursing directorate at OAUTHC and to the West African College of Nursing to support the formal establishment of the CONS role in Nigerian orthopaedic units. Keywords: discharge planning, orthopaedic nurse specialist, readmission, OAUTHC, nursing practice.
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