Auditing quality of nursing care

Nurses working in intensive therapy units (ITU) may perceive that they provide a good quality of nursing care to patients and relatives in the ITU. But how can this be assessed, to enable nurses to have an indication of the actual quality of nursing care? This article examines quality and audit within nursing, and then examines one of the commercially produced tools that can be utilised to give an indication of the nursing care provided within the ITU. The results of a part pilot study are imparted and then further discussed. ITU nurses need to be aware that if they do not commence auditing their nursing care then someone with no specialist knowledge may dictate to them what to do to audit their care.