Differences between patients' expectations and satisfaction with nursing care in a private hospital in Jordan

A descriptive correlation study was conducted to describe the differences between patient expectations and satisfaction with nursing care, and to determine the relationships among patient's satisfaction with nursing care and selected sociodemographic variables. A convenience sample of 250 patients with different medical, surgical and gynaecologic diagnoses was recruited to participate in the study, which was carried out at a private hospital in Amman. Two research instruments and a sociodemographic data form were used for data collection: The Patient Expectations Questionnaire and Patient Satisfaction with Nursing Care Quality Questionnaire. The results indicated that patients were more satisfied with technical and ethical aspects of nursing care whereas they were less satisfied with nursing care during the night shift as well as with professional information provided by the nurses. The difference between patients' expectations and satisfaction was statistically significant. Patients' opinions regarding their expectations and their satisfaction with nursing care can be considered as an important opportunity for nurses to plan and implement appropriate strategies that improve the quality of nursing care.