| The problem investigated in this study was the functional relationship between quality of nursing care and patient satisfaction. The purpose was to ascertain if there was a relationship between the quality of the nursing care process and patient satisfaction with nursing care.;A descriptive correlational research design was used. Data were collected from 136 patients hospitalized in eight patient care units. Quality of the nursing care process was measured using The Methodology for Monitoring Quality of Nursing Care developed by Jelinek, Haussmann, Hegyvary, and Newman. Patient satisfaction with nursing care was measured by the Patient Satisfaction With Nursing Care Check List designed by Abdellah and Levine.;It was hypothesized that there would be a positive relationship between the score on each of the six subscales measuring quality of nursing care and the scores on the measure of patient satisfaction with nursing care.;The data were analyzed using the Pearson product-moment statistic. The results revealed predominantly inverse relationships between quality of nursing care and patient satisfaction with nursing care. The one statistically significant correlation was found between the score on "Unit Procedures Are Followed for the Protection of all Patients" and the patient satisfaction with nursing care score. This relationship was inverse and moderately high (r = -.72). Patient satisfaction tended to lower on units where nurses provided good physical care and taught patients health maintenance. Patient satisfaction tended to be higher on units which oriented patients to the environment and extended courtesy to patients.;The major conclusions are: (a) quality of nursing care cannot be equated with patient satisfaction and (b) nurses need to better explicate the varied roles and activities they perform. The major recommendation for further research is the identification of other variables in the patient care setting which may account for, or disturb the interrelations among the components of the structure, process, outcome model for assessment of quality of nursing care. |
