The discipline of Nursing is an art and science committed to professional excellence by providing highest quality care possible . Quality of care is determined by identifying the observable characteristics that depict desired and valued degree of excellence and the expected, observable variations.
The quality of nursing care can be managed both by evaluating the degree of excellence of results of delivered care and by taking action for the improvements that in future will result in high degree of care. The standards maintained and the nursing audit conducted hence, become the important tools for the quality management.
WHAT ARE STANDARDS? : WHAT ARE STANDARDS? Standard is a quantitative or qualitative measure against which someone or something is judged, compared or used to service as an example. Standards are professionally agreed levels of performance, which are achievable, and measurable.
The Oxford dictionary provides several key concepts for the definition of standards. First, it notes that standards represent a degree of excellence. Second, it suggests that standards serve as a basis of comparison. Third, it notes that standards are minimum with which a community may be reasonably content. Finally, a standard is recognized as a model for imitation.
IMPORTANCE OF STANDARD : IMPORTANCE OF STANDARD A standard is a practice that enjoys general recognition and conformity among professionals or an authoritative statement by which the quality of practice, service or education can be judged. One of the determinants of profession is that the members of the profession adopt standards of practice of their calling, establish criterion by which conformance to the standards will be measured and have the primary responsibility for seeing that the standards are enforced. A nursing care standard is a descriptive statement of desired quality against which is evaluate nursing care. It is a