ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify nurses' perceptions of the importance of concrete items as a basis for nursing practice. A total of 179 concrete items for basic nursing, which clinical nurses must know in order to practice appropriately, were identified. METHOD: The participants in this study were 225 nurses who had worked for two to five years in university hospitals. The nurses were asked to rate the importance of the 179 items (in 39 middle range categories) on a 5 point scale. RESULT: The mean age of the nurses was 26 and about 54% were university graduates. Of the 39 middle range categories those rated as the top ten were transfusion (4.682), IV injection (4.492), po medication (4.476), surgery (4.469), infection control (4.438), IM injection (4.413), safety (4.388), oxygenation (4.376), diagnostic test (4.366), and fluid & electrolyte balance (4.359). The categories that had the lowest scores were sexuality (3.449), conceptual nursing (3.465), spirituality (3.527) and personal hygiene (3.548). CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that most nurses evaluate items which they use frequently in their practice as important.