Are Patients' Nursing Needs Identified on Admissions

摘要

The Nursing Service Assessment Committee of the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital, Biloxi, Miss., conducted this study to determine whether nursing needs of patients were assessed upon admission to the Psychiatry Service as evidenced by information on Nursing Notes and Nursing Plans. The results of the study were used in deciding whether or not to develop a guide to to utilized in the initial assessment of patients on admission. Objectives of the study included: to determine if the nursing needs were assessed on admission, to ascertain who was accomplishing the assessment, to determine if there were data representative of a common approach to nursing assessment, and to determine if a nursing plan was initiated within the first 24 hours following admission. Since the findings revealed that there was much variation in the elements selected to be included in a nursing assessment and in the comprehensiveness of the elements, the Committee concluded that it should develop an assessment guide which would assist nursing personnel to develop a more complete assessment.