Nurses perception of a hospital’s process improvement on patient satisfaction

Abstract

As nurses provide most of the patient care in hospitals, patient satisfaction depends in part on their interactions with patients. We examined how the nurses’ use of non-technical methods (shared goal understanding, patient focus, and nurse empowerment) and technical methods (standard problem-solving and visual management) affect patient satisfaction. Data was gathered through a survey of nurses in one hospital that has employed process improvement practices for more than five years. Significant findings are that patient focus, nurse empowerment, and using standardized problem-solving methods improve patient satisfaction. We also found that patient satisfaction decreases in two cases: first, when nurses use visual indicators without using standardized problem-solving methods, and when nurses are not empowered but are strongly pressured to meet goals.