Griffiths, P. & Wilson-Barnett, J. (1998). "The effectiveness of 'nursing beds': A review of the literature." Journal of advanced nursing, 27, pp. 1184-92.
This literature review examined studies involving "nursing led in-patient units" in attempt to identify such units and determine their formation and performance. At the Loeb Center, the first of the major units covered in this review, a series of research studies shows that the nurses here were employed in a rehabilitative and therapeutic manner, rather than in the strictly medicinal setting of initial treatment centers. The Loeb Center focused on chronically ill patients recovering from an acute bout of illness, and the nursing-led units here were based on the premise that the particular advantages of nursing practice would be most beneficial to patients.
The same basic practices of the Loeb Center were used with perhaps even greater success at the Oxfordshire units covered next in the review. Hands-on nursing as primary care led to reduced stays in recovery units for patients receiving nursing-led treatment, and increased life satisfaction at six months. The therapeutic emphasis of nursing care used at the Oxfordshire centers and at the Loeb Center led to increased patient involvement in their care and a reduced need for professional assistance, which combined with the other results suggests a high level of efficacy and practicality in nursing-led units as opposed to traditional medical settings.
The same principles that wre found at the Loeb and Oxfordshire centers were also found in the Special Care unit studied, though practices were slightly modified to match a different patient base. Patients here were also chronically ill, but were in intensive care for periods of longer than one week. Again, the therapeutic benefits of nursing-led care were found to be more rehabilitative and generally beneficial to the patient than physician-dominated care. Bed turnover was also significantly higher than average, though no direct comparisons were made with other units. All in all, though there are some differences in outcome and care, nursing-led units have proven highly effective in chronic rehabilitative units.
