Nurses' knowledge, perception and practice toward discharge planning in acute care settings: A systematic review.

Nine articles revealed nurses' knowledge, perspectives and practices of discharge planning. Obstacles included low-level knowledge of patients' activities and discharge; inability to define DP; debates over the timing of beginning, implementing and preparing discharge; patients and their family members' negative attitudes towards DP; and perceiving DP as excessive, time-consuming paperwork for which the physician is responsible. Better time management during work improves DP in acute care settings.