title: The effects of staff education on the practice of 'specialling' by care assistants in an acute care setting.
abstract: This paper reports the results of a project aimed at decreasing the use of, and costs associated with, the practice of using care assistants to provide one-to-one observation or 'specialling' in five acute adult medical and surgical wards at a North Island hospital. Education sessions were provided to staff to prompt better management of patients receiving this level of observation. Using a time-series design, a retrospective study was completed for the six months pre- and six months post-intervention (staff education). Data were collected and analysed on all patients in the five acute wards who had required 'specialling' during the specified twelve-month period. Results showed that following the intervention there had been a reduction in the incidence and duration of 'specialling,' and a halving of costs associated with this practice. The findings have implications for patient management and cost effectiveness. Incident statistics were not retrospectively reviewed in this study.
authors: Mount Isa Health District, Mount Isa, Queensland.
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: Dick
authors: Steve
authors: S
authors: La Grow
authors: Julie
authors: J
authors: Boddy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003363:Cost Control; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009728:Nursing Assistants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000191:economics; D012189:Retrospective Studies