Patient outcomes are influenced by the quality of care that the workforce renders. The registered nurse, as designated process-owner of the “Back to basics” quality improvement (QI) initiative, plays a vital role, being responsible for providing compassionate patient-centred care to alleviate suffering and restore health. The aim of the study was to gain an in-depth understanding of how nurses perceive their roles, responsibilities and challenges in delivering basic nursing care, linked to the organisational “Back to basics” QI initiative. A qualitative study with an explorative descriptive contextual design was utilised. Registered nurses with a direct patient care involvement in the general nursing discipline of a private hospital group participated in focus-group interviews. Data were analysed using Creswell’s data-analysis cycle. Findings were that patient care coordination involves an assessment-delegation-supervision triad. However, meeting stakeholder expectations, management and administrative responsibilities, remove the registered nurse from direct patient care. Time constraints affect physical bedside availability to model the exemplary knowledge, skills and attitudes underlying quality basic nursing care delivery. Reduced opportunities to model quality basic nursing care at the bedside affect patients’ care expectations, resulting in complaints related to basic nursing care omissions. Participants felt that they needed more clarification on the “Back to basics” QI initiative, and more in-service training. The many broad-ranging recommendations include in-service training that empowers registered nurses with the competencies to deal with role and task balance in the face of the diverse and complex demands of the modern healthcare arena. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

The Diploma thesis deals with standardisation of nursing care in the context of preparatory work for accreditation survey, i.e. a mutual harmony between standards developed in health care institutions and those developed by the SAK ČR accreditation commission. Standardisation is a process of setting essential rules which should guarantee providing a high quality nursing care. These rules (standards) enable to evaluate the quality of all nursing activities. Nurses should be aware of standardisation process and be actively engaged in it. The theoretical part describes the part of Czech nursing system concept focused on the quality of nursing care, defines the quality itself, maps the systems which help improve the quality of nursing care in health care institutions and refers to the formation of nursing standards. Practical part deals with five aims stated at the beginning: To map the quality of standardisation in nursing care as a preparatory part of accreditation survey. To find out if nursing care in hospitals is carried out through the method of nursing process. To find out if nursing care is supported by properly kept documentation. To find out if the needs of education were considered for all patients. To find out if nurses are aware of the importance of nursing care standardisation. We chose a quantitative research method. To collect the research data we used anonymous questionnaires. Each of the hospitals was given 50 questionnaires, i.e. 250 in total as the research group was made by respondents from the hospitals in Jindřichův Hradec, Pelhřimov, Tábor, Písek a Havlíčkův Brod. 230 completed questionnaires were returned and 204 of them represented then the research group. Within the research, we accomplished the aims stated, and proved these hypotheses: Hypothesis 1 (H1): The hospitals meet all requirements of accreditation survey of nursing care standardisation. H2: Nursing care in the hospitals is carried out through the method of nursing process. H3: Nursing care in the hospitals is supported by properly kept documentation. H4: The needs of education were considered for all patients and recorded in the nursing documentation. H5: The nurses are aware of the importance of nursing care standardisation. The quantitative research resulted into the statement that all hospitals meet the requirements of accreditation survey of nursing care standardisation. Nursing care in the hospitals is carried out through the method of nursing process which is properly recorded in nursing documentation. It was also found out that the needs of education were considered for all patients and properly recorded in the nursing documentation. The nurses are aware of the importance of nursing care standardisation. The facts resulted from the research prove that the quality of nursing care in the chosen hospitals is very high and meets the requirements of accreditation standards. The research findings will be offered to the hospital managements as an educational material for nurses and midwives.