Nurses' perceptions of individualized care: an international comparison

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Quality
• Cross-cultural Studies

Background:

• Individualized care is a key indicator of healthcare quality, emphasized in policy and ethics.
• Limited research exists on nurses' perceptions of individualized care, especially in cross-cultural contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate international differences in nurses' perceptions of individualized care.
• To compare these perceptions across orthopaedic surgical in-patient wards in multiple countries.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive comparative survey design was employed.
• 1163 orthopaedic surgical nurses from 34 hospitals across 7 countries (Finland, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey, USA) participated.
• Data were collected using the Individualized Care Scale-Nurse (ICS-N) and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics.

Main Results:

• Nurses generally perceived supporting patient individuality and providing individualized care during nursing activities.
• Highest scores for supporting patient individuality were observed in clinical situations.
• Significant between-country variations were found, with Greek and American nurses reporting the highest scores, and Turkish, Cypriot, and Portuguese nurses reporting the lowest.

Conclusions:

• Differences in perceived individualized care may stem from variations in nursing roles, care processes, healthcare systems, and care organization.
• This study, utilizing the ICS-N internationally for the first time, provides formative results.
• Further research is needed to explore these cross-cultural differences in individualized nursing care.