Analysis of the quality of nursing care in the opinion of nurses and patients

Introduction: In connection with the development of the service sector in today's economy we hear about ensuring a high level of quality and quality management more and more. Assessment of the level of quality is mainly forced by constantly increasing needs and expectations of consumers and the increasing competition among service providers. This also applies to non-profit institutions such as hospitals. Since the beginning of nursing professional development the quality in nursing has been discussed. Providing it requires the same conditions as in the entire health care system. In today’s nursing, attention is directed to the comprehensive approach to the patient, which forces nurses to change their work patterns. The preferred method of nurses’ work both in Poland and abroad, is the process of care, defined as a concept and scientific method of nursing.

Aim: To answer the question of how nurses assess the provision of services and how they are received by the patients and whether, in the opinion of these two groups, the nursing care model affects its quality.

Material and methods: The survey was conducted among patients and nurses at the Provincial Hospital in Bełchatów, in six randomly selected wards in 2010. For a dozen or so years the nursing process has been gradually implemented in that hospital. For data collection two questionnaires: for patients and nurses, were used. Assessment of the results of closed questions in both questionnaires is based on the criteria of the percentage of answers. The relationship between the model of care and quality of care was analysed using the χ² test of independence.χ

Results: The study has shown a difference in perception of quality of nursing care in both groups. Self-evaluation by the nurses was higher. Only about 20% of patients were, in accordance with the aim of the nursing process, involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation. Statistical analysis indicated the relationship between the method of work and the quality of care only in the group of patients; nurses do not generalize such a relationship.

Conclusions: The study has proven that nurses are working according the modern model of work, however, the care process is carried out fragmentarily, contrary to its basic assumptions.