Functional decline and satisfaction with nursing care among older hospitalized adults

Around hospitalization, older adults often experience functional decline which can be a reflection of their need for nursing care. Given a shortage of nurses, determining the relationship between functional change and patients' satisfaction with nursing care can help to gauge the need for care. We assessed this relationship in a mixed prospective-correlational cohort study with 393 patients, 70 years or older. The art, tangible aspects and general satisfaction with nursing care were measured through interviews conducted at discharge. Patients' functional status was assessed at admission and discharge. Decline in functioning during hospitalization was the most powerful predictor of higher satisfaction with art and tangible aspects of nursing care in multivariate regression (β = 0.17-0.19, P < 0.01). This finding suggests that patients whose functioning deteriorates during hospitalization, have a greater need for and more contact with professional nursing care, and therefore report higher satisfaction with specific aspects of nursing care.