A qualitative study exploring staff attitudes to maintaining hydration in neurosurgery patients.

Aims: To explore staff perceptions of the processes and influences on maintaining patients' hydration on a busy neurosurgery ward.

Background: Dehydration continues to be a major concern in the NHS where its avoidance is hindered by complications arising from clinical conditions, poor assessment and documentation of hydration and a lack of staff time to monitor fluid intake. Recent work has explored patient perceptions of hydration care but there has been little conducted recently that has explored those of staff.