Patient satisfaction is an outcome of care that represents the patient's judgment on the quality of care. An important aspect of quality affecting patient's judgment can be attributed to patients' expectations and experiences regarding nursing care according to type of unit. The purpose of this study was to examine differences between patients' perceptions of satisfaction with nursing care in critical care units and medical units in one Midwestern hospital.The conceptual framework was "A Framework of Expectation" developed by Oberst in 1984, which asserted that patients have expectations of hospitals and health care professionals regarding satisfaction and dissatisfaction with care. The instrument used to measure patient satisfaction was Risser's Patient Satisfaction Scale, with three dimensions of patient satisfaction: (a) Technical-Professional, (b) Interpersonal-Educational, (c) Interpersonal-Trusting. The convenience sample included 99 patients50 from critical care units and 49 from medical wards. Participation was voluntary. The study design was comparative descriptive and data was analyzed using a t-test.The demographic data showed that the majority of patients had five or more admission. About one-third of the patients were 45-55, 56-65, 66-75, respectively. Findings related to the research questions were that: (a) 84 percent of the respondents rated overall satisfaction in the satisfactory to excellent range, (b) results of a t-test showed significant differences in overall patient satisfaction with patients being more satisfied with care in critical care units. Significant differences were found in three subscales with critical care being more satisfied. No relationship was found between patient satisfaction and age/and/or type of unit.Conclusions were that in both medical and critical care units patients were more satisfied with Technical-Professional and Interpersonal-Trusting than with Interpersonal-Educational. Also noted was that patients in the units where nurse-to-patient ratio was higher participants perceived that nurses had more time, energy and ability to meet patient expectation. Implications call for analysis of nurse/patient ratio in relation to patient satisfaction and nurses in relation to patient education as well as patient's perceptions of getting their needs met. / School of Nursing

Diss. (sammanfattning) Göteborg : Göteborgs universitet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (M.A.)--Northern Kentucky University, 2008. / Made available through ProQuest. Publication number: AAT 1454299. ProQuest document ID: 1588784891. Includes bibliographical references (p. 26-28)

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of California, San Francisco, 2004. / Bibliography: leaves 105-117. Also available online.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1978.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1987.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1980.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1979.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1975.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1980.