title: The trouble with 'quality'.
abstract: Much like that elusive but sought-after commodity, beauty, quality lies to a great extent in the eye and mind of its beholder. Whilst some are content with second-hand goods, others insist that only the best will do, the judgement of what is the best being a very individual phenomenon. The mechanical aspects of quality are those things which are visible or tactile: cleanliness, completeness, adequate numbers, smiling faces, quickly answered phones. All of these may be visible and present in a unit which offers a poor quality service. Behind the smiling faces, the efficiently answered phone, may lie a philosophy of total self-centredness, a value system based on clock watching and working strictly within a job description. This person may never give that important small sacrifice which puts another's needs ahead of their own.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Williams
mesh_terms: D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D009871:Operating Room Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care