Joe, a staff nurse, is having lunch with some other nurses from the cardiac care unit. During the conversation, one of the nurses asks the group if they have noticed an increase in readmissions for heart failure. The nurse reports seeing a few of the same patients’ names on the unit bed board coming back in month after month. Two of the patients Joe is assigned have heart failure and were in the hospital earlier this year.

1.

What cues might Joe identify in this situation?

2.

What hypothesis will Joe consider based on the available information?

3.

What other information should Joe gather to determine if readmissions are increasing?

4.

Which members of the interprofessional team would have the expertise to address the situation?