Investigation of Views and Care Behaviors Among Patients and Nurses in Surgical and Internal Medicine Departments in Greece

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the behaviors, opinions and expectations of nurses
and patients regarding nursing care. Material and Method: The study
involved 100 patients selected by convenience sampling and 100 nurses
selected by purposive sampling in surgical and internal medicine departments in two hospitals in Athens. Nurses completed demographic questionnaires, patients completed demographic and clinical questionnaires,
and both groups completed the Greek version of the Caring Behaviors
Inventory (CBI-24). Results: The patients’ mean age was 71.15±17.58
years, while the majority of nurses were 31–40 years old. Of the nurses,
73% were women and 80% had more than 10 years’ experience. Thirtyseven percent of the patients were bedridden and 63% had previous
hospital admissions. The level of patient mobility appeared to have an
impact on the “Assurance” (p=0.040) and “Respectful” (p<0.050) dimensions of the CBI scale. The sex of nurses (p=0.030), the department where
they worked (p=0.002), their level of education (p=0.020) and their experience (p<0.050) appeared to have an effect on the overall scale, but
also on individual dimensions. Nurses aged ≥41 had a higher score in
the “Assurance” dimension than those aged <40 years (p=0.040). From a
comparison of patients and nurses, a statistically significant difference
was observed in the “Respectful” subscale, where patients scored higher
than nurses (p=0.003). Conclusions: Differences between the views of
patients and nurses and their expectations regarding care should be
investigated with a view to bridging them, and thus increasing patient
satisfaction