title: Skill-mix reviews: the need to be aware.
abstract: The author argues that, in the context of the effective freeze (or worse) on public sector pay, nurses need to be more politically aware. Nursing skill-mix reviews and measures of productivity are seen as being neatly compatible with the ideology which drives the introduction of market forces in health care. An uncritical acceptance of such events obscures an implicit attack on the value of nursing. Furthermore, unless the assessment of nurses' value uses appropriate measures, and not simply crude productivity, the outcome is likely to worsen the quality of service.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McKeown
mesh_terms: D004471:Economics, Nursing; D009738:Nursing Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009739:Nursing Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011057:Politics; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration; D006113:United Kingdom