The Effect of Improved Nursing Education on 30-day Readmissions in Sickle Cell Patients

Patients with sickle cell disease [1] have episodes of crisis that manifest as severe episodic experiences leading to multiple hospitalizations and recurrent readmissions for acute attacks and routine care [2]. In-hospital mortality is higher for patients who are readmitted versus those who are not. The estimated cost of care annually for the 100,000 patients with SCD in the United States exceeds $1.1 billion just from hospitalizations [3]. Readmissions affect the cost of healthcare in the US, and according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [4], readmission costs are higher than initial admissions. This project aimed to increase nurses’ knowledge in the care of sickle cell patients at a facility in Central New Jersey and decrease the readmission of patients with sickle cell, leading to better care outcomes.