title: [Project to enhance accuracy of nursing assessments performed by medical and surgical ICU nursing staffs].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some nurses do not have the skills necessary to evaluate general ICU patient condition and the meaning of laboratory data adequately. This can influence nursing care quality and patient safety. Between October 16th and 29th, 2009, this project employed a checklist to evaluate nursing assessment accuracy in medical and surgical ICUs. The unexpectedly low accuracy rate of two-thirds (63.4 percent) was caused by factors including poor nursing assessment cognizance, lack of experience performing nursing assessments, nursing assessment skills taught only to experienced nursing staff, and a lack of nursing assessment guidelines.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This project was designed to improve nursing assessment cognizance and accuracy among nursing staff.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors: 1. Established formal nursing assessment guidelines; 2. made a CD-ROM to introduce nursing assessment basics; and 3. employed lectures and simulation exercises to teach nursing assessment skills.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nursing assessment accuracy improved significantly to 85.8 percent and actual nursing assessment cognizance scores ranged between 68.7 and 83.1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This project effectively improved nursing assessment accuracy and may be considered and referenced by relevant medical organizations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, ROC. dionysia@adm.cgmh.org.tw
authors.forename: Shu-Chien
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: I-Hui
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Min-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Hui-Lan
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Cheng-Ling
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ya-Jing
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D003422:Critical Care; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000592:standards*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital