A longitudinal approach for measuring integration and continuity of nursing care.

Munson and Clinton developed an instrument to measure cross-sectional variation in integration and continuity of nursing care in team, modular, and primary nursing units in a hospital. In this study I show that when the instrument is adapted for longitudinal studies of nursing care, it provides more reliable and sensitive measurements. My results also indicate that the primary nursing care structure provides higher integration and continuity of care and care management than the team and the modular structures, and that the modular structure scores higher than the team structure.