A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY TO MEASURE PATIENTS' PERCEPTION OF QUALITY OF NURSING CARE AT MEDICAL WARDS

Abstract

Traditionally quality of care has been measured against expectations of health professionals and standards rather than being grounded in the perspectives of patients. The most important aspect on which patients' perspective on quality of care depends is “nursing care” because nurses are involved in every aspect of patients' care in hospital. Thus, it is important to measure patients' perception of quality of nursing care in medical wards. A cross sectional descriptive study design was used and total of 50 patients recruited for the study by using purposive sampling technique. Patients' satisfaction with nursing care quality (PSNCQQ) questionnaire was used to measure the patients' perception of quality of nursing care after obtaining reliability. The results revealed that 34% of patients were between the age group of 21-40 years and half of them were males. The total mean score of patients' perception of quality of nursing care was 64.8 with standard deviation of (+) or (-) 13.2 and 40 patients' (80%) perceived overall aspect of quality of nursing care. There were 19 (38%) perceived low quality in the dimensions of providing information and skill and competency. This was supported by the results of the study revealed that almost 1/3 patients (31.6%) perceived that nurses did not offer adequate “explanation and information” about their treatment in hospital and home care and follow up advice. Thus, it was concluded that nurses need to improve their skill and competency and update their knowledge by attending continuing nursing education program and skill training workshops