Guest Editorial
Regulatory Requirements: A Necessary Evil or a Way to Highlight the Essence of Good Nursing Care?
The essence of good clinical nursing care often moves into the spotlight when new regulatory requirements are created. Years ago, the Joint Commission initiated a new standard that addressed the need for patient and family education (Wakefield, 1994). "Why?" I thought, "We have been doing that for years!" I remember in graduate school in the 1960s how one of my required clinical experiences was to take care of a newly diagnosed patient with diabetes who was about to be discharged. Guess who taught her about insulin injections, diet, exercise, and follow-up care? Nevertheless, I don't remember charting all that—the Joint Commission helped to reveal what good nursing care was all about by requiring us to chart what we have taught patients.
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References
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