Nursing care problems in seriously ill patients treated in a surgical ward and assessed by the surgical nurses

The aims of the research are to find out what kind of problems the nurses noticed in nursing care of seriously ill patients and if the nurses (in their opinion) have theoretical and practical skills essential to take holistic and professional care of a seriously ill patient.
Material and methods: In the period from February to March 2007, 138 nurses from surgery wards (132 females and 6 males) were given a questionnaire designed by the authors, consisting of 15 questions about working in surgery, age, gender and education level. The studied group consisted of: staff nurses (71.7%), charge nurses (22.5%) and ward nurses (5.8%).
Results: Almost all nurses from surgery wards take care of seriously ill patients identified most often as bed-ridden patients, demanding care giving, observation and presence of a nurse and also as a patients in critical condition who demands intensive care. Most nurses from surgery answer that they have enough theoretical and practical skills to take professional and holistic care of a seriously ill patients, however, the same number of nurses have questions and doubts about care of this kind of patients.
Conclusions: It is necessary to verify the knowledge acquired by nurses from surgery wards, to assess the real level of their preparation for the care of a seriously ill patient, what the nurses mean by professional literature and improve relations between nurses and surgeons, because most nurses from surgery clear up their doubts about the care of seriously ill patients during conversation with a surgeon.