Patient satisfaction with nursing care delivered in medical units in posttransitional country: a correlational study

Introduction: There is limited evidence on the relationship between patients’ satisfaction with nursing care and some variables in medical units in post-transitional countries. Materials and methods: This correlational study design was aimed at discovering correlations, if any, between the patient satisfaction with nursing care and nursing care activities. The study was performed in a Slovenian medical hospital, and variables were collected at (1) the ward level (patients cared for on a daily basis; number of hours/patients a day), (2) nursing care level, by observing nursing activities at 10-minute intervals; and (3) at the patient level, by administering the Patient Perception of Hospital Experience with Nursing tool. Results: A total of 218 patients were involved, and their satisfaction with nursing care was high (average=4.42, Sd=0.53). On average, 80 patients were cared for per day at the unit level by ensuring around 3.6 hours of nursing care; 7,732 activities were performed by 43 nursing personnel, and only a third (n=2,842, 36.8%) of all nursing activities were performed in contact with the patient. Patient satisfaction was significantly negatively correlated with the number of patients cared for at the unit level on a daily basis (p <0.000). On the contrary, it was positively correlated (p <0.000) with the amount of care hours/patient/day, and with some direct care activities (p