Mothers’ Satisfaction With Two Systems of Providing Care to Their Hospitalized Children

Abstract

Background:Despite the paramount importance of the patient’s satisfaction, there are limited data on mothers’ satisfaction with the nursing care provided to their children in Iranian clinical settings.Objectives:This study aimed to evaluate mothers’ satisfaction with two systems of providing care to their hospitalized children.Patients and Methods:This research was a two-group quasi-experimental study. Primarily, the basics of the case method and the functional care delivery systems were educated to the practicing nurses of the study setting. Each system was implemented independently. After the implementation of each system, 200 mothers whose children were hospitalized in the pediatric care ward of Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, Iran, were invited to respond to the 28 -item Pediatric Family Satisfaction Questionnaire. Study data were analyzed by SPSS v. 16.0.Results:Results were indicative of mothers’ satisfaction with medical care delivered by case method as 13.2 ± 5.2 and by functional method as 13.17 ± 5.56. Also, no significant difference was seen between two groups (P = 0.4). Mothers’ satisfaction with nursing care delivered by case method was 17.7 ± 4.43 and by functional method was 13.33 ± 5.69 and there was a significant difference between two groups (P = 0.004). Mothers’ satisfaction with accommodations by case method was 16.78 ± 4.07 and by functional method was 17.9 ± 6.67 with a significant difference between two groups (P = 0.06).Conclusions:Improving the quality of care is associated with higher patient’s satisfaction. Accordingly, developing and implementing programs for improving nurses’ communication and clinical skills can improve both care quality and patient outcomes.

Meanings attributed by family members in pediatrics regarding their interactions with nursing professionals

“…Qualified care is associated with greater satisfaction. Consequently, attentive and available professionals who are skillful communicators and are concerned about the child and the family caregivers have their care considered as satisfactory (1) . A positive correlation of satisfaction with care involves nurses considering emotional aspects in their clinical practice, spending more time with their patients and paying attention to patient demands (3) .…”

“…A positive correlation of satisfaction with care involves nurses considering emotional aspects in their clinical practice, spending more time with their patients and paying attention to patient demands (3) . Caregivers consider nursing care positive when they notice the evolution and improvement of the child's clinical condition (1) . In addition, there seems to be a direct relationship between mothers' satisfaction with the care received when these are compatible with the child's needs.…”

“…They may distrust the care provided when they have no control over the situation they are in, when they are not involved in child care planning and are kept uninformed about the child's treatment (20) . They are suspicious about the care provided if they believe that professionals are poorly prepared or that the number of professionals providing care in the sector is insufficient (1) . In a study about the dimension of child nursing care in the hospital, it was found that nursing is based on procedures, that the interaction with children and family is tangential in the care process, and that despite the family sharing the care with the nursing staff, they are not included in the care perspective (21) .…”

“…The need for hospitalizing children usually presents itself as a time of hardship and vulnerability for both the child and their family, and one that needs help to adapt to the experienced situation (1)(2) . The hospitalization of a child into the hospital can constitute a potentially traumatic experience and it may be experienced with fear and insecurity.…”

“…In this context, family caregivers seek to contribute to child care, trying to ensure the quality of the nursing care provided (1) . This care is intended for the children's well-being and recovery, and also reaches their families who accompany this process through human interactions with nursing professionals (3)(4) .…”