The management of quality assurance in nursing

The results of a national survey of hospital patients as they relate to nursing are presented. A brief review of the literature locates the study in the context of developments in nursing quality assurance, examining, in particular, conceptual issues of how the nursing process may be measured, and the role of the nursing profession in quality assurance. Results of the study identify a number of problems with the process of nursing care, including pain management, discharge planning and physical care, with wide variation between hospitals on many issues. The implications of these results for managers of nursing are discussed.