Improving nursing practice: the provision of equipment.

The quality of nursing care depends not only on the knowledge and skill of practitioners, but also on the equipment provided for their use. The availability and storage of urinary catheters was recorded in two "point prevalence" surveys in one District Health Authority. The numbers of catheters available in different locations were not related to the prevalence or "predicted incidence" of catheterized patients. The second survey documented evidence of improvements in practice, in particular a reduction in excessive and/or out-of-date stocks; a reduction in damaged stock; an increased availability of catheters with small balloons; and a greater awareness of those considerations important to a judicious choice of catheter for each individual patient. Equipment audits improve practice by raising awareness of clinical issues; by providing objective evidence of unnecessary expenditure; and by monitoring indirectly certain aspects of care such as the provision of standards and guidelines.