Managing patient records and documenting service delivery: the results of a 'best practice' remote area nursing program

Nursing care documentation practice: The unfinished task of nursing care in the University of Gondar Hospital

INTRODUCTION

Even though nursing care documentation is an important part of nursing practice, it is commonly left undone. The objective of this study was to assess nursing care documentation practice and the associated factors among nurses who are working at the University of Gondar Hospital.

METHODS

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 220 nurses working at the University of Gondar Hospital inpatient wards from March 20 to April 30, 2014. Data were collected using a structured and pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. Data were entered into Epi Info version 7 and analyzed with SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out.

RESULTS

Two hundred and six nurses returned the questionnaire. Good nursing care documentation practice among nurses was 37.4%. A low nurse-to-patient ratio AOR = 2.15 (95%CI [1.155, 4.020]), in-service training on standard nursing process AOR = 2.6 (95%CI[1.326, 5.052]), good knowledge AOR = 2.156(95% CI [1.092, 4.254]), and good attitude toward nursing care documentation AOR = 2.22 (95% CI [1.105, 4.471] were significantly associated with nursing care documentation practice.

CONCLUSION

Most of the nursing care provided remains undocumented. Nurse-to-patient ratio, in-service training, knowledge, and attitude of nurses toward nursing care documentation were factors associated with nursing care documentation practice.

Dr John has gone: assessing health professionals' contribution to remote rural community sustainability in the UK

Due mainly to increasing difficulties in recruiting and retaining health professionals to work in remote and peripheral areas of Scotland, there is discussion of the need to implement new models of primary health care provision. However, innovative service models may imply a reduction in the number of health professionals who live and work in remote communities. Currently decisions about remodelling service provision are being taken by National Health Service stakeholders, apparently with little consideration of the wider social and economic impacts of change. This paper aims to argue that health professionals contribute to the fabric of rural life in a number of ways and that decisions about health service redesign need to take this into account. As well as fulfilling a wide health and social care role for patients, the authors seek to show that health professionals are important to the social sustainability of rural communities as, due to their unique position, they are often at the heart of networks within and between communities. The wider economic contribution of health services in remote communities is important, but often underplayed. The authors propose that theories of capital, principally the concept of social capital, could help in investigating the wider contribution of health professionals to their local communities. Ultimately, it is proposed that health services, as embodied in nurses, doctors and others, could be highly important to the ongoing livelihood and social infrastructure of fragile remote communities. Since this area is poorly understood, there is a need for prospective primary research and evaluation of service redesign initiatives.