The patients' lived experiences with equitable nursing care

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Equity
• Patient Perception

Background:

• Equitable care is a core nursing value, obligating healthcare workers to avoid discrimination.
• Ensuring non-discriminatory practices is a moral and professional imperative for all healthcare providers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore patients' perceptions and experiences of equitable nursing care.
• To identify factors contributing to both equitable and inequitable nursing care from the patient's perspective.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive phenomenological qualitative study involving 17 patients from a general hospital in southern Iran.
• Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted and analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step method with MAXQDA20 software.
• Ethical considerations included informed consent, de-identification of interviews, and approval from the Jiroft University of Medical Sciences Ethics Committee.

Main Results:

• Three main themes emerged: equitable care (dedicated efforts, ethical behavior), unconscious causes of inequitable care (organizational constraints, unconscious biases), and discriminatory care (deliberate and selective discrimination).
• Subthemes detailed patient experiences with nurses' efforts, unintentional discrimination due to systemic issues or lack of skills, and overt discriminatory actions.

Conclusions:

• Achieving equitable nursing care necessitates a comprehensive strategy including effective management, organizational reform, and regulatory improvements.
• Enhancing nurses' skills, focusing on patient needs, cultivating a culture of equality, and considering nurses' personal attributes are crucial for equitable care delivery.