Nurses' Perspectives on Patient Satisfaction and Expectations: An International Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Healthcare Quality
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Patient satisfaction is crucial for healthcare quality.
• Limited data exist on nurses' perceptions and practices regarding patient expectations and satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate nurses' attitudes and performance concerning patient satisfaction and expectations.
• Identify predictors of nurses inquiring about patient satisfaction at discharge.

Main Methods:

• International multicenter study involving 536 nurses across four countries.
• Validated questionnaire assessing attitudes and performance related to patient satisfaction and expectations.

Main Results:

• Nurses expressed positive attitudes, with over 90% endorsing the importance of discussing satisfaction and expectations.
• Only 12.1% of nurses routinely asked patients about satisfaction, though over 50% reported responding to satisfaction status.
• Significant predictors for inquiring about satisfaction included responding to and documenting satisfaction status, and asking about/responding to expectations.

Conclusions:

• A gap exists between nurses' positive attitudes and their actual practice of inquiring about patient satisfaction.
• Further research on work environments and educational programs is recommended to improve nurses' performance.
• Healthcare organizations should implement structured programs to enhance patient satisfaction and manage expectations during hospitalization.