Nursing Services : Management and Administration
Contents: Preface. 1. Nature and scope of public health administration: with special reference to nursing. 2. Challenges of nursing services and administration in new millennium. 3. Nursing and educational infrastructure. 4. Planning nursing organisation and administration. 5. Decision-making in nursing profession. 6. Leadership. 7. Nurses and operation theatre management. 8. Ward administration. 9. Nurse-led management of Out-Patient Department (OPD): a new model. 10. Nurse-patient relationship: nurture and nourishment. 11. Nurse and doctor: a relationship. 12. Health education and nurses. 13. Interpersonal relations. Annexures. Bibliography. Index.
"The nursing profession is crucial to the functioning of hospitals as they are directly involved with the patients and their relatives. That is why nurses are considered by the society as sisters. A nurse must combine scientific and technical knowledge along with communication, observation, and clinical skills. In addition she must possess personal qualities like sympathy, perseverance and skill of interpersonal relations.
"What is required is : (a) To set-up excellent nursing institutions attached to post-graduate medical institutions wherein all facilities are available; (b) The faculty of nursing must be given U.G.C. grades and the positions of professors must be created to improve teaching and skills; (c) The head of the nursing institution should be given the authority and powers so that she is able to work efficiently and not have to look up towards higher ups for small things; (d) A lot of innovation through projects and Ph.D. guidance is required; (e) Research which is very hollow at present, needs upgradation; (f) Nurses may be trained in clinical work so that they can take up independent positions for minor and repetitive ailments; (g) B.Sc. nurses with 5 years experience may be admitted to MBBS against 50% reserved seats; (h) there must be refresher courses to update their knowledge.
"Nursing profession is passing through a number of challenges that need the attention of policy-makers, planners and decision-makers to make it fit for discharging the arduous and difficult functions entrusted to their care. The first is a challenge of conditions of service. Secondly the avenues of promotion are limited. Thirdly the number of patients per nurse must be lessened to improve efficiency. Fourthly there should be leadership positions at the top level in hospital hierarchy. This book would be of great use to hospitals, nursing colleges, medical colleges as well as for scholars in medical and health fields. The literature on the subject is limited and we hope that this would inspire many others to attempt further research so that profession gets its place of importance, which it so richly deserves." (jacket)
