The Turkish version of the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scale used on medical and surgical patients

Abstract

The aim of this study is to test the validity and reliability of the modified version of the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scale on medical and surgical patients. Measuring patient satisfaction with nursing care is important in evaluating the extent to which patients' needs are met and for determining the appropriate nursing care. In recent years there has been increasing interest in patient satisfaction with nursing care in Turkey, but there are no validated scales available to measure this. It is an evaluative study. The data were collected using the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scale and by a demographic information questionnaire. After translinguistic study, the content validity of the scale was confirmed and tested on 200 patients who were recruited at Istanbul University Hospital on the day of discharge. Internal consistency of the scale was tested by Cronbach's alpha. Demographic variables related to the satisfaction scores were analysed using the Spearmen correlation, the Mann-Whitney U- and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The Turkish version of the Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scale, with a total of 19 items, was determined to be suitable for measuring patient satisfaction with nursing care. Patients were generally satisfied with the nursing care received. The items with the most positive rating were respectively: the amount of freedom they were given on the ward, the amount of privacy they were given by nurses and how quickly nurses responded to their requests. The study found that female patients, older patients and those who had health insurance were the most satisfied. The Turkish version of the Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scale showed an adequate reliability and validity for its use on adult Turkish patients. Nurses can use the Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scale of Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scales in evaluating and improving the nursing care in clinical practice.