Annual Cross - sectional study of nurse-sensitive problems. How to keep a finger on the pulse?

A cross-sectional evaluation of nurse-sensitive problems in hospitalized patients is conducted once per year to monitor patient problems identified by nurses, whether nurses implement interventions to overcome the problems, and if the problems are solved. This article describes a systematic method of data collection and illustrates how the data can be used to improve the quality and documentation of the nursing care. The annual cross-sectional evaluation allows us to identify relevant target areas of future nursing interventions and research.