A comparison of quality of care using Phaneuf's Nursing Audit

The quality of nursing care delivered to two groups of patients suffering from diabetes mellitus was examined. Using Phaneuf's Nursing Audit, a retrospective audit of the nursing documentation regarding the care of all patients was carried out, and a comparison made of the numeric scores obtained. The nursing care of the group of patients from the Professional Nursing Unit (PNU) obtained mean scores which were 26.4% higher than those obtained by the group from the general hospital wards. There are major variations in scores in specific areas. These give rise to some questions regarding the value to nurses of the caring and nurturing component of nursing work, and how this is affected by differing philosophies and environments.