Endacott R, Dawson D
Critical Care Services, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton.
Nurs Crit Care. 1997 Jul-Aug;2(4):191-6.
A telephone survey of 89 GICUs in England was performed, using stratified quota sampling. 75 (84%) units reported changes in practice over the past 3 years. The reported changes were not only task orientated but also encompassed increased autonomy, organisational changes and increased workload. The absence of significant relationships between the activities suggests that nursing practice development is dependent on patient need and/or local factors. The lack of pattern suggests that it may be inappropriate to compare units for the purpose of nurse staffing.
