Abstract
Background: Patient perceptions on services delivered by nurses are crucial when assessing the quality of health services. These are most attributable to their knowledge, competent skills and other personal characteristics. These can be described in how effective they handle clients when performing their nursing duties and their effectiveness including their ability to utilize a variety of communication skills and their attitudes at their regular work place. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional and qualitative study. Four public hospitals were randomly selected; Kathiani, Mwala sub-county hospital, Kangundo sub-district and Machakos county referral hospital. A systematic sampling was used for participant selection. A maximum of 12 and a minimum of 8 patients constituted a focus group for discussion (FGD) making a sample size of eighty (80) with eight (8) groups (four male and four female groups). The FGDs were conducted using standard guidelines by the researcher helped by a trained research assistant recording the proceedings with audio equipment. Participants aged 18-65 years and emancipated children were included. Data were analyzed using Atlas. ti 7 software. Results and Conclusion: (1) knowledge and competent skills of nurses, (2) personal characteristics, (3) other nurse’s behaviors are key when to effectively perform nursing duties. Participants acknowledged that nurses have the same knowledge because they can be transferred from health centers to at hospital level. Other participants added that patients need nurses who can perform their work with confidence. Personal characteristics like positive attitude, good mood, smile and willingness to provide medical information were also discussed by participants as very important when nurses have to deliver quality health care services. Lastly, other nurse behaviors like respect, honesty, confidentiality and compassion are as well other crucial characteristics on the top of knowledge which were emphasized by participants. All discussed characteristics should link together if nurses have to deliver quality health care. Nursing schools should review their curriculum to include the characteristics mentioned and introduce mentorship programs where the emphasis should be placed on the same.
Highlights
Patient perceptions on services delivered by nurses are crucial when assessing the quality of health services
Attitudes, provision of information related to care and perceived waiting time are among key elements considered when assessing patient satisfaction which translate to quality of nursing care delivery and is an important indicator for evaluation and improvement of health care services [7].Clients are considered to be a vital source of information for the evaluation of an existing care
The results of this study are divided in to 3 groups; (1) knowledge and competent skills of nurses; which are acquired at nursing schools supported by hospital practice, other trainings and workshops they do attend along their career whether for renewing practice licenses or regular capacity building trainings from ministry of health or Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other institutions
Summary
Patient perceptions on services delivered by nurses are crucial when assessing the quality of health services These are most attributable to their knowledge, competent skills and other personal characteristics. Personal characteristics like positive attitude, good mood, smile and willingness to provide medical information were discussed by participants as very important when nurses have to deliver quality health care services. Health services delivered by nurses are most attributable to their knowledge, competent skills and other personal characteristics These can be described in how effective they handle clients when performing their nurse duties and their effectiveness including their ability to utilize a variety of communication skills and their attitudes at their regular work place [3]. The purpose of this study is to assess patient’s perceptions of primary health care nurses that contribute to the functionality and satisfaction of successful gatekeeper system at county level, Machakos, Kenya
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