ABSTRACT
Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate
patient satisfaction with the care provided by nursing stu-
dents on a perinatology ward. Method: The sample for this
descriptive study included 210 patients. Data were col-
lected using an interview form and the Turkish version of
the Oncology Patients’ Perceptions of the Quality of Nurs-
ing Care Scale-Short Form. Results: According to the mean
scores for all subscales in the instrument, patients were
highly satisfed with the care they received from the nurs-
ing students. Multivariate analysis revealed that the reason
for hospitalization was found to be the most statistically
signifcant factor afecting patient perceptions of quality
of care. Conclusion: A high level of satisfaction with the
care provided by nursing students indicates that the stu-
dents were able to meet the patients’ needs, which may
serve as an indicator of the quality of nursing education
and quality of care provided by future nurses. [J Nurs Educ.
2015;54(12):696-703.]
P
atient satisfaction is a combination of patients’ percep-
tions, expectations, and experiences with health care
(Koc, Saglam, & Senol, 2011). In developed countries,
patient satisfaction is accepted as an indicator of the quality
of health care (Yilmaz, 2001). Patient satisfaction is also the
product of health care services and an indication of the quality
of services (Gungor & Beji, 2012; Ozer & Cetinkaya, 2010).
Patient satisfaction in hospital settings is influenced by several
components, including medical care, nursing care, communica-
tion, ward management, and the ward environment (Peterson,
Charles, DiCenso, & Sword, 2005), and studies have identified
nursing care as being the most influential of these components
(Demir, Gurol Arslan, Eser, & Khorshid, 2011; Findik, Unsar,
& Sut, 2010; Koc et al., 2011). Nursing care, which is a compo-
nent of patient satisfaction, includes various dimensions, such
as providing clear information; allowing the patient to contrib-
ute to the care; the knowledge and ability of the nurse; and the
relationship with the patient, the patient’s relatives, and other
health care professionals (Peterson et al., 2005). In the pub-
lished literature, good relationships between patients and nurses,
polite behavior with patients, saving time for patients’ care
needs, nurses’ high level of knowledge, and addressing patients’
expectations were factors that increased patient satisfaction
(Johansson, Oleni, & Fridlund, 2002; Koc et al., 2011; Merk-
ouris, Papathanassoglou, & Lemonidou, 2004; Ozsoy, Ozgur,
& Durmaz Akyol, 2007).
Currently, patient satisfaction and quality care have
gained increasing significance and play an active role in
developing health care systems. Research on patient satis-
faction in postpartum and pregnant women is steadily in-
creasing. The Turkish Ministry of Health underlines the
importance of quality care in the Guideline for the Manage-
ment of Birth and Cesarean Delivery (Republic of Turkey
Ministry of Health General Directorate of Mother and Child
Health and Family Planning, 2010) report, which was devel-
oped to decrease mother and infant deaths. Satisfied patients
are more likely to comply with prescribed treatment and ad-
vice from physicians, return for care, and have better health
outcomes. For example, satisfied women return more regu-
larly for health evaluations after discharge, compared with
Evaluation of Patients’ Satisfaction With
Nursing Students’ Care on a Perinatology
Ward
Ümran Oskay, PhD, RN; Ilkay Güngör, PhD, RN; and Sükran Basgöl, MSc, RN
Received: October 27, 2014
Accepted: July 8, 2015
Dr. Oskay is Associate Professor, Dr. Güngör is Associate Professor, and
Ms. Basgöl is Research Assistant, Istanbul University Florence Nightingale
Faculty of Nursing, Department of Women’s Health and Diseases Nursing,
Istanbul, Turkey.
The authors have disclosed no potential conficts of interest, fnancial
or otherwise.
Address correspondence to Ümran Oskay, PhD, RN, Associate Profes-
sor, Istanbul University Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Depart-
ment of Women’s Health and Diseases Nursing, Abide-i Hurriyet Street,
34381 Sisli, Istanbul, Turkey; e-mail: umranoskay@yahoo.com.
doi:10.3928/01484834-20151110-06
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