The quality of service has recently been given special attention in the Polish healthcare system. The hospital accreditation system is known world-wide as a tool for external quality assessment. How does the accreditation process influence the area of nursing care? On the basis of the observations carried out in the hospitals which underwent the accreditation, positive changes in functioning of those units were noticed, especially in the area of nursing.

In order to estimate the real influence of the accreditation process on hospital nursing, in February 2002 a questionnaire studies were performed among the chief nurse executives in the accredited hospitals. The study covered 51 accredited hospitals; 36 questionnaires were returned, which equals 70% of the hospitals. The nurse executive staff plays the crucial role in the process of preparing a hospital for accreditation; in most hospitals, they are coordinators of the process, members of quality control boards and infection control teams.

The results allow to estimate the influence of nursing personnel on the process of accreditation in general and paediatric hospitals as well as the influence of the accreditation on the activity of those hospitals.

Accreditation is an instrument to implement modern methods of management. In general and paediatric hospitals, the influence of accreditation process on the nursing care is similar.