The purpose of this study was to develop a new nursing unit which can meet changing health care needs, enhance patients' satisfaction and nurses' job satisfaction, and finally guarantee quality nursing care with present manpower. For this, one medical unit was selected as a unit for quality care. And one medical unit which is similar in staffing and patients' characteristics was selected as a control unit. To assess present problems and identify the remedies to the problems a hospital-wide survey and a workshop were performed. According to the survey results, educational programs and improvement of the facilities and equipment supply system, managerial support for interdepartmental cooperation and intensification of bed-side nursing care were adopted as main principles for operating model unit. This model unit was operated for 3 months from Sep. 1, 1992 to Nov. 30, 1992. To evaluate the effectiveness of the model unit, direct/indirect nursing care hours, patients' satisfaction to nursing care, nurses' job satisfaction, and quality care index were measured. Direct/indirect nursing care hours were compared with that of the control unit, and patients' and nurses' satisfaction and quality care index were measured before and after operating model unit and compared with each other. The results of the study were as follows; 1. In the model unit mean direct nursing care hours per each shift was 146.88 minutes and indirect nursing care hours was 354.72 minutes. The ratio of the direct nursing care hour to indirect nursing hour was 29.6:70.4 and that of the control unit was 26.9:73.1. Direct nursing care hour in model unit was longer than that of the control unit. But, the difference was not significant. In subcategories of direct nursing care, the time spent in mobility and exercise, conservation of body temperature, hygiene, and communication and health education were longer than that of the control unit. 2. Indirect nursing care hour in model unit was shorter than that of the control unit. But, the difference was not significant. In subcategories of indirect nursing care, the time spent in drug management and ward arrangement was shorter than that of the control unit. 3. Patients' satisfaction to nursing care was increased significantly after operating the model unit (T = -3.48, P = 0.002) and satisfaction to subcategories of physical comfort measure, psychological care, and unit management components were significantly higher than before.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)