INPATIENTS’ PERCEPTION OF INTERPERSONAL ASPECT OF NURSING CARE QUALITY AND RELATED FACTORS

Abstract

Background: Inpatients’ perception of nursing care quality is an important indicator reflecting the responsiveness of healthcare services. Among the various dimensions, interpersonal aspect is a foundation for building therapeutic relationships, fostering trust and mutual respect, and promoting effective collaboration throughout the care process.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the level of inpatients’ perception regarding the interaction between nurses and patients in the quality of nursing care, and to identify associated factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 363 inpatients in a specialized hospital, from September 2024 to May 2025. Participants were hospitalized for more than three days and required level-3 nursing care. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire comprising of two parts: sociodemographic information and inpatients’ perception of nursing care quality. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Variables were described using frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation.

Results: A total of 85.7% of inpatients had a good perception of interpersonal care aspect. Among the specific items, “Care given by nurses” received the highest positive rating (97.8%), followed by “Daily monitoring” (97.2%) and “Approach to perform clinical assessment” (96.7%). In contrast, “Monitoring sleep status” had the lowest positive rating (83.7%). Patients’ perception of interpersonal care showed a statistically significant association with age and gender (p <0.05), but no significant association with education level, patient category, caregiver, or hospital room type.

Conclusion: Inpatients had a good perception of interpersonal care aspect in the quality of nursing care, particularly in the item of “Care given by nurses.” However, improvement is needed in “Monitoring sleep status,” and attention should be given to patients’ age and gender during interactions to enhance overall care quality and effectiveness.

Keywords: perception; care quality; interpersonal care; nursing; inpatients