A qualitative study exploring staff attitudes to maintaining hydration in neurosurgery patients.
Ian Litchfield, Lisa Magill, Graham Flint
PMID 30062036WHAT IT FOUND
Staff on a neurosurgery ward identified patients who can drink independently but are too passive to ask for help as the highest dehydration risk.
Time pressures meant staff relied on brief verbal prompts and relatives rather than direct assistance, while fluid balance charts were often inaccurate or incomplete.
Key findings
01Participants identified patients considered capable of independent hydration as most vulnerable to dehydration, specifically because they were passive and reluctant to ask for help.
02Staff described relying on relatives and third-party support to assist with hydration due to time constraints that prevented them from providing direct social or physical support during drinking.
03Fluid balance charts were reported as unreliable because staff lacked time to record intake immediately and agency staff often did not have access to the software system.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted on a single neurosurgery ward, so findings may not generalize to other specialties or settings. The sample size was small (10 staff), though saturation was reported. Participants included only staff, not patients, so the study reflects staff perceptions rather than actual patient intake data.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the reliance on relatives and verbal prompts as a safe or effective strategy. The staff themselves acknowledged that these methods are often inadequate for ensuring proper hydration in passive patients.