The effectiveness of nursing: a review

Abstract

Summary This paper describes the findings of a literature review of the effectiveness of nursing. Three journals were selected in which this type of study was most likely to be published. A diversity of attempts to measure nursing effectiveness with various types of patient was found. Generally, however, there was a lack of rigour in study design and sample sixes were too small to be able to draw conclusions. No studies were found which undertook a cost‐effectiveness analysis of nursing interventions. Suggestions for the way forward in measuring nursing effectiveness are given, together with questions to be addressed by nursing research.

Nursing effectiveness in Italy: findings from a grounded theory study

“…patient falls, pressure sores) when organizations do not guarantee optimal conditions for nurses. However, although some theoretical models are already available, Thomas and Bond (1995) and more recently Mick and Mark (2005), have suggested the need to further develop theories to explain the relationship between the nursing care delivered and patient outcomes. The general aim of the present study was to contribute to nursing knowledge by exploring the relationship between a nursing system and patient outcomes.…”

Performance Measurement of Nursing Care

“…Direct comparisons of differently organized facilities or units are rare in the literature, and the absence of consistently applied definitions and rigor in the design of research makes it hard to draw strong conclusions. Thomas and Bond (1995) report several studies that suggest that primary nursing-in which registered nurses (RNs) provide nearly all care for patients, with limited use of licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or unlicensed assistants-produces better outcomes, but the designs are weak and none examines the factors that influence why hospitals select specific models. Studies that focus on the proportion of RNs in the nursing workforce in hospitals, without regard to the specific model used to organize nursing, consistently find a positive impact of a higher share of RNs on a range of patient outcomes (appendix 1).…”