SERVICE IN NURSING: CORRELATES OF PATIENT SATISFACTION.

Description

The service concept differentiates the process of producing nursing services from the content of nursing care. Service was compared to King's transaction concept and to caring and helping. Service is proposed as relevant to clinical and administrative nursing. The service aspect of patients' nursing experience was examined through their satisfaction with nursing, measured by the LaMonica-Oberst Patient Satisfaction Scale (LOPSS). Independent variables were: (a) nurse-patient relationship, the patient's partnership with the nursing staff in producing the service, measured by the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory (BLRI); (b) patient assertiveness, a proxy for the patient's participation in producing the service, measured by the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (RAS); and (c) unit humanistic nursing behaviors, selected group norms about interactions with patients, measured by the Scale of Humanistic Nursing Behaviors (HNB). Patients (n = 262) from 24 nursing units in four hospital completed the LOPSS, BLRI, and RAS. Registered nurses (n = 334) from the same units completed the HNB for their unit. The BLRI correlated strongly (r =.75, p. $<$.0001; n = 241) with the LOPSS. The HNB and RAS were uncorrelated with the LOPSS; however, design and measurement issues were identified. In stepwise regression, the BLRI alone accounted for 54.1% of LOPSS variance (F = 276.18, df 1, 234; p $<$.0001). Interactive effects among the variables demonstrated multicollinearity, and did not add to prediction. A hierarchical equation including 30 demographic and other variables with the BLRI accounted for 61.7% of LOPSS variance (F = 10.18, df 31 & 196: p $<$.0001). The nurse-patient relationship was shown to be important to patients' satisfaction with nursing. This study explicates knowledge about service for nursing and nursing administration.

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