Outcome evaluation in nursing in Australia, 1960-1980

Abstract

While empirical evaluation of the outcome of patient care has come to the fore inrecent years due to political initiatives, there has always been a professional interestby nurses in the end result of their care. A review of the literature shows that outcomeevaluation was advocated for nursing as early as the 1860s by Florence Nightingale.This article explores the evolvement of outcome evaluation within nursing inAustralia, discussing its origins during the 1960s and 1970s. The measurement ofpatient outcomes is more relevant than ever before, with the recent drive for anevidence-based approach to nursing care.