The Nursing Practice in Rehabilitation Units in two European Countries
Nina Granel (a*), Maria Dolors Bernabeu-Tamayo (a), Xenia Sist (a,b) Mariela Aguayo (a)
a) Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Avda Can Domenech, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
b) Hospital de la Santa Creu i San Pau, Sant quinti 89, 08026, Barcelona, Spain
Abstract
There is a lack of information related to the differences in nursing practices between countries across Europe. To date there have been no studies published mapping nursing practices across Europe. The aim of the research is to compare the nursing practice in Spain and the United Kingdom (UK) in rehabilitation units. The design of the study was a multiple case study. Eight nurses from rehabilitation units of both countries were invited to participate in the study in 2014. The instruments for data collection used were in-depth interviews, non-participant observations and document analysis. Data were analysed using the support of the software ATLAS.ti. Nursing practices in rehabilitation units are classified into 10 categories: resources, procedures for the administration of medication, techniques, patients personal care, health education, emotional support, evaluation and decision making, maintenance and supervision of the equipment, managements tasks, documentation and interpersonal communication. Differences between nursing practices exist despite both countries having similar nursing competences. Nursing practices within the rehabilitation unit in the UK are characterized by safety practices. The UK unit has a stronger safety culture, recognizing mistakes as an oppotunity for improvement and implementing strategies to prevent them.
Keywords: Patient Safety; nursing; Spain and UK
Topic: International Conference on Nursing