Evaluation of Authentic Human Caring Professional Practices.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Experience Research

Background:

• Healthcare leaders face pressure to enhance patient satisfaction scores.
• Implementation of human caring theory and communication scripting are strategies used by nurse leaders.
• Need for validated instruments to measure patient perceptions of care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel instrument, the Watson Caritas Patient Score (WCPS), for evaluating patient perceptions of caregiver behaviors.
• To establish a comparative database for assessing patient perceptions of care.
• To provide a tool for nurse leaders to evaluate professional practice environments.

Main Methods:

• The Watson Caritas Patient Score (WCPS) was administered quarterly to a random sample of acute care hospital patients.
• Data collection involved patients admitted to various hospital units.
• Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the instrument's discriminative ability.

Main Results:

• The WCPS demonstrated the ability to discriminate between different unit types and hospitals.
• Specific WCPS items showed a correlation with publicly reported nursing communication scores.
• The instrument provides a quantitative measure of patient-perceived caring behaviors.

Conclusions:

• Research grounded in human caring theory enables nurse leaders to assess professional practice environments.
• The WCPS can facilitate more authentic staff-patient communication, enhancing the care experience.
• This instrument supports evidence-based practice in nursing and healthcare leadership.