A Nursing Standard Development Project in Khon Kaen Hospital

Abstract

This action research was aimed at operating a project of clinical nursing standard development at Khon Kaen Hospital. The development process consisted of 3 phases,carried out from October 2005 to July 2007. A qualitative study was conducted in phase I with 29 participants in order to explore perceptions of nurses toward nursing standard development. Findings from phase I were used to develop a nursing standard in phase II. Then the established nursing standard were on trial in real service situation. Samples for each standard trial were 10 patients and number of nursing staff in the ward that nursing standard was developed and on trial. Instrument, in a form for data gathering, consisted of nursing activities’ notes, constructed from process and outcome standard, and its content validity was approved by nursing experts. The data were analyzed, using descriptive statistics. A descriptive study was conducted in the third phase (Phase III) on 22 participants in order to evaluate nursing standard established in the second phase. It was found that in the first phase a total number of clinical nursing standards developed were limited in number and applications. Even the existing ones had not been fully applied. In the second phase, an appropriate process of clinical nursing standard development for Khon Kaen Hospital was identified and included 4 elements in 6 steps. Eventually, its outcomes as measured in terms of number of the standards amounted to 89.29 percent (25 standards) and 91.67 percent coverage.

In practice, they were proved applicable. In the third phase the samples, voiced their opinions that quality assurance policy should have been well defined and formally declared. Supervision and regular monitoring should have been a routine. Capacity building of nurses was recommended with ample focus on participation in due process. The developed standards were reportedly specific and appropriate to the services since their contexts were taken into account. It is recommended that such process should be replicated and applied to development of other standards as requied.