Is quality assurance in nursing research-based?

Abstract

This paper attempts to answer the controversial question: 'Is quality assurance in nursing research-based?' The argument put forward is whether or not the off-the-shelf monitoring tools which originated, and were researched and piloted, in the US, offer research-based quality assurance following their migration to nursing in the UK. The paper includes a brief history of quality assurance and an overview of some of the most commonly-used quality assurance tools, including Monitor, Qualpacs and Phaneuf's Nursing Audit. The paper further explores the use of standards and integrated care pathways as systems for monitoring the quality of care, and whether or not standards set for evidence-based care and integrated care pathways based on sound research result in research-based quality assurance in nursing.