title: Accountability: a fundamental component of nursing practice.
abstract: The nursing care of the patient makes great demands on nurses' knowledge and skills; the care given must be competent, efficient and effective. In order to achieve this, nurses must have the necessary authority to manage and control their practice. This article seeks to examine the concept of accountability and relates its relevance to everyday nursing practice. A theoretical and critical incident approach is employed to demonstrate the principles surrounding accountability within nursing.
authors.affiliation: Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rowe
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008008:Licensure, Nursing / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D012449:Safety / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012941:Social Responsibility; D006113:United Kingdom