Implementation of standards of practice: a spinal cord injury program.

: Developing and implementing standards of spinal cord injury nursing practice is an essential component of a program for evaluating and ensuring quality patient care. A comprehensive program for monitoring SCI nursing care as developed at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital is described. Over a 12-month period, nursing staff utilized standards of practice to assure attainment of expected patient outcomes and increased staff involvement in the SCI quality assurance program. Evaluation of the task force project provides implications for use in other nursing practice settings.