Nurses' perspectives of the patient care experience assessment items using importance–performance analysis

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the importance and performance of hospital nurses for patient experience evaluation items from the perspective of care providers and to identify the items that need improvement.Background: Patient experience includes customized treatment and services that focus on patient satisfaction and needs, with healthcare providers participating as partners. Methods:The study was conducted using a cross-sectional survey design, and data were collected on the importance and performance of 15 out of 24 patient experience evaluation items. The sample population consisted of 193 direct care nurses from two hospitals in South Korea. Results:The results showed the items with significant differences in importance and performance ('concentrate here' areas) such as 'description of a drug' (t = 2.26, p = .025), 'listening to patients' (t = 6.64, p < .001), 'description of adverse drug reactions' (t = 10.19, p < .001), 'clean hospital environment' (t = 2.95, p = .004) and 'easy notification of complaints' (t = 8.37, p < .001). Conclusion:The findings highlight the importance of awareness and performance in patient experience evaluation items from the nurses' perspective. While some items were recognized as important but not performing well, others were identified as important and performing well. Implications for Nursing Management:As identified in this study, nursing managers should strive to develop nursing practice standards and educational programs for nurses to improve patient experiences. It is crucial that these changes are reflected in policies. K E Y W O R D Simportance-performance analysis, nursing care, patient care experiences | BACKGROUNDThe concept of 'patient experience' captures all interactions that affect the patient's perception during the course of treatment.Respecting the unique experiences of each patient is paramount in this approach (Håkansson Eklund et al., 2019). In other words, patient experience is an important concept that focuses on customized treatment and service by satisfying patient needs, with the healthcare professional participating as a partner in treatment, thus extending beyond the concept of 'patient satisfaction'. However, as patient satisfaction is subjective and when the emphasis on refining patient experience increases, healthcare providers can do too much in an attempt to meet patient needs while at times offering inappropriate treatment (Nash, 2015). Because of these differences, the good

A Letter to First Semester Nursing Students

“…The patient experience is more than assessing, diagnosing, planning, implementing, and evaluating; it is the sum of tangible actions and behaviors that create lasting memories long after care has concluded. Kang and Yu (2022) noted that in describing patient experience, the clinician (nurse) is seen as a partner participating in the patient's treatment. These authors observed that the most influential element influencing the patient experience as patients interact with nurses is communication: providing clear explanations and listening well.…”

“…Consequently, healthcare organizations recognize that the patient experience is an important marker of quality and emphasize that the concept of experience encompasses more than patient satisfaction (Kang & Yu, 2022). As nurses, we must acknowledge our responsibility in cultivating caring environments in which we clearly demonstrate to patients our vested interest in providing compassionate care through our actions and behaviors.…”