Implementing nursing practice standards in the post-Soviet nations of central and eastern Europe

There is an increasing interest by the healthcare industry in the post-Soviet nations of Central and Eastern Europe in adopting and applying at least some aspects of Western healthcare management technology, such as TQM, to contain healthcare expenditures and improve healthcare outcomes. However, interest is not enough. There must be a firm, long-term commitment to fostering sustainable change by these governments and healthcare organization management to redesign academic curricula to include healthcare quality management concepts, to develop and implement professional clinical practice standards, and to continue to monitor the quality of healthcare services provided.