Okuzeka
Nursing vocabulary · Ward Routines and Handover

Discharge

Meaning in nursing, with examples

/ˈdɪstʃɑːrdʒ/nounCore term

In nursing, discharge means: The point at which a patient officially leaves hospital to go home or to another place of care, and the planning that leads up to it.

In Turkish: taburcu, taburculuk

How it is used

Nurses talk about discharge planning, discharge letters and medicines to take home. As a verb, a patient 'is discharged' or 'is discharged home'. The same word also means fluid coming out of the body, for example 'discharge from the wound'.

Example sentences

  1. Bed 6 is ready for discharge; we're just waiting for her medicines from pharmacy.

  2. He's medically fit for discharge but needs some help at home first.

Common collocations

  • discharge planning
  • discharge letter
  • be discharged home
  • delayed discharge
  • discharge summary
  • admissionThe process of accepting a patient into hospital or onto a ward, including the first checks and paperwork.
  • wardA section of a hospital with beds where patients with similar needs stay and are cared for by a team of nurses.
  • nursing notesThe written or electronic record in which nurses describe a patient's condition, the care given and any changes or events during each shift.
  • exudateFluid that leaks out of a wound, made of serum, cells and sometimes pus; its amount, colour and smell help nurses judge how the wound is doing.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Ward Routines and Handover

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.