HealthMED, vol.6, no.2, pp.483-491, 2012 (Scopus)
Establishing standards in healthcare safeguards patients and society as a whole, ensures high quality in healthcare services provided and guides the nursing process. A standard terminology and common language facilitates nurses' and midwives' communication with their colleagues. Quality in patient care may only be achieved by establishing, implementing and updating meaningful standards. In view of the importance and efficacy of flow diagrams, this study was designed as a semi-experimental study with a single group to guide development and implementation of flow diagrams for nursing practices in family planning, genital infections and menopausal period. The study was carried out at 6 gynecology hospitals in Istanbul (3 public hospitals, 2 private hospitals and 1 university hospital; 3 hospitals declined to consent) between May 2009 and March 2010. The sample of the research included a total of 90 nurses and midwifes who had been employed at gynecology, family planning and maternal units of these hospitals for at least six months at the time of the study. Consents from relevant authorities and from an ethics committee was received before the start of the research. Data were collected using "Nurse and Midwife Information Form" and "Efficacy of Flow Diagrams Form". In addition, 11 flow diagrams were developed for nursing practices in family planning, genital infections and problems during menopausal period. Participants were asked to provide their opinions regarding these flow diagrams and revisions were made accordingly. They were asked to use the flow diagrams with at least one patient and then to provide further comments on the flow diagrams and the final versions of the flow diagrams were developed following these comments. There was a significant difference between participants' comments on using the processes described in flow diagrams before and after administering them. The nurses and midwifes found our flow diagrams effective and they showed increased confidence in the benefit of flow diagrams (p=0.000 p<0.01). Routine use of the developed flow diagrams in nursing is recommended.