The purpose of the study was to investigate whether the human and economic investment of resources in the further training of nursing and nursing assistants is justified. The study focused in particular on the transfer of knowledge from training course to working practice. It was carried out as a case study in Ringkøbing County, Denmark, during 1993/94. The population consisted of 49 nurses and 49 nursing assistants. The study showed that the participants took a keen interest in the courses. The learning process was found relevant by the nurses, but not by the nursing assistants. Neither group found that their expectations of getting more knowledge were satisfied. With respect to job-behaviour, the study confirmed the hypothesis that the practising of the content of the course will depend on the support and interest of the head of the department towards a goal-oriented development of competence and structure. If such support and interest is lacking, the course-participant will only change her own working practices, independent of the organizational structure.

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The aim of this study was to do the nurses' perception of quality of care explicit and to describe the quality of nursing from the nurses' perspective using a grounded theory approach. Sixteen nurses in four Nordic countries were interviewed. On the basis of the analysis a system theoretical model was generated. In the model there is a core category: patient focused outcome, and three mutual dependent categories; nursing capacity, organisation and physical environment. These categories are dynamically interrelated with the categories, relation and knowing the patient. The model is discussed in relation to relevant theories.