An Exploratory Study to Assess the Knowledge, Expressed Practices and Barriers in Protection of Patients’ Rights among Nurses at MMIMS&R Hospital, Mullana, Ambala

Abstract

Introduction: Patients' rights are an integral component of human rights. An important tenet of nursing is respecting the human rights and dignity of all patients. Protecting the patient rights by the nurses only will be possible when they have gained necessary knowledge about it and suitable conditions be provided for respecting these rights. Objective: To assess the nurses' knowledge, expressed practices and barriers in protection of patients' rights Methodology: A Non Experimental Research Approach was used with Exploratory Survey Design. Data was collected from 206 nurses of MMIMS&R Hospital, Mullana, Ambala by using total enumeration sampling technique. Structured knowledge questionnaire, three point expressed practices rating scale and four point barriers rating scale were used to collect the data. Results: Findings of the study revealed that that Mean knowledge score was 17.11 ± 5.13. One third (33%) of nurses had poor level of Knowledge and minimum number (12%) of nurses had excellent level of knowledge regarding protection of patients' rights. Majority (74%) of the nurses had Good level of expressed practices and 99.5 % of the nurses had barriers in protection of patients' rights. Conclusion: It was concluded that majority of nurses had moderate level of knowledge regarding protection of patients' rights therefore the teaching can be planned for the nurses to enhance their knowledge so that she/he can be an advocate for her/his patients' rights.