Abstract:
Patient satisfaction with nursing care is known to predict patient outcomes. Nursing care offered by the largest
single technical group in any hospital, is known to often determine the overall quality of care offered. This study
hence examined the extent to which patients at a Referral hospital in Western Kenya are satisfied with the
nursing care they receive. A cross sectional exit survey of discharged patients using a self-administered patient
questionnaire was used. 274 patients participated, of which 65.6% were female. 94.1% had formal education
with 59.1% reporting that this was their maiden visit to the hospital.
Overall, 87% of patients felt satisfied with nursing care received. Most (81.8%) of the patients interviewed felt
they had been promptly attended to, with a further 71.6% rating the nurses as competent and knowledgeable in
their clinical care.
The ward in which the patient had been admitted and the number of days a patient had spent in hospital were
found to be significantly associated with reporting of overall satisfaction with nursing care (p=0.037 & 0.03
respectively). Since nursing care is determinant of patient outcomes during hospitalization, clinical care
administrators should often emphasize on the Nurses’ technical competence and interpersonal relationships
throughout patient care. Prompt quality nursing care should be prioritized to match with patient expectations in
each hospital units and ensure patient satisfaction through reduction of length of stay in hospital.
