ISSN 2756-3332
African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ISSN 2198-4638 Vol. 2 (7), pp. 429-435, September, 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Papers
A study of the contentment of helpless patients’ with quality of treatment in Federal Tertiary Hospitals, Enugu, Southeast, Nigeria
*1Ehiedu I. K. Promise, 2Akintola B. Dorati and C. J Ojuku2
1Department of Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
2Department of Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: ik. [email protected]
Accepted 27 August, 2015
Abstract
The satisfaction of patients with the care they receive from healthcare providers has become one of the most important approaches to the measurement of the quality of care in recent times as against the predominantly clinical and administrative approaches. This is because patients’ satisfaction could serve as index for compliance and non-compliance with care regimen. The study was to determine helpless patients’ satisfaction with quality of care received at tertiary hospitals in Enugu. A descriptive survey research design was used for the study. A total population of 105 helpless patients (those that need assistance with the activities of daily living) were studied. Tools for data collection were questionnaire and interview guide. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results showed that helpless patients were satisfied with physical and psychological care but satisfaction with spiritual care was marginal. Nurses seemed to lack skills for meeting spiritual needs of the patients. Patients’ satisfaction with nurses attitude was marginally positive. The study showed that there was need for improvement in the care nurses provide for helpless patients in the spiritual dimension. Opportunities for continuing education programme in spiritual care and in interpersonal relationship need to be addressed.
Key words: Helpless patients, satisfaction, quality, nursing care, tertiary hospitals.