Assessing quality of nursing care.

Abstract

In parallel with developments in medicine much has been written in the nursing press, particularly over the past few years, on quality assurance and audit. In nursing early approaches focused on broad, proselytising statements about the nature of nursing, why quality was often not achieved, and the changes required.'1 Later, nursing practice was compared with pre-formulated standards and criteria,46 an approach that continues with greater acceptance of practitioner led and patient centre initiatives.7