Perception of humanized nursing care by hospitalized users

Abstract

Objective: To determine the perception of hospitalized patients in a high complexity hospital regarding the provision of humanized care by nursing professionals and related factors. Methods: Cross-sectional correlational study, a demographical survey and Perception Behavior Scale of Humanized Nursing Care (PCHE), second version cross-culturally adequate for Chile, was applied to a sample of 171 hospitalized patients during 2014. Results: 54.4% of hospitalized patients were female, mean age 56.2 years, and with a mean 6.95 days of hospitalization, admission diagnosis was mostly circulatory system disease (33.9%). 86% of hospitalized patients considered they always receive humane treatment, 11.7% almost always, 1.8% sometimes and 0.6% perceived never receiving humane treatment. The qualities in the delivery of humanized care by nursing professionals highlighted by patients are related to the category “Qualities of doing”, in other words, patients perceive that the nurses are able to identify their needs, maintain cordiality, show availability when they are required, and are polite educate patients. No statistically significant association between perceived level of humane treatment and sociodemographic variables was found. Conclusion: The nurses in a high complexity hospital respect human dignity by delivering humanized care, mainly due to the way they provide day to day care. This study provides positive feedback to the professional working in the unit, strengthens their performance and motivation for caring.