Nursing: A Key To Patient Satisfaction
Ann Kutney-Lee 1*,
Matthew D. McHugh 2,
Douglas M. Sloane 3,
Jeannie P. Cimiotti 4,
Linda Flynn 5,
Donna Felber Neff 6,
Linda H. Aiken 7
1 Ann Kutney-Lee is a research fellow at the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.
2 Matthew McHugh is an assistant professor of nursing at the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.
3 Douglas Sloane is an adjunct professor at the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.
4 Jeannie Cimiotti is a research assistant professor at the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.
5 Linda Flynn is an associate professor at the School of Nursing, University of Maryland, in Baltimore.
6 Donna Neff is an assistant professor at the College of Nursing, University of Florida, in Gainesville.
7 Linda Aiken is the Claire M. Fagin Leadership Professor of Nursing and director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at Penn.
*Corresponding author.
Patient satisfaction is receiving greater attention as a result of the rise in pay-for-performance (P4P) and the public release of data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. This paper examines the relationship between nursing and patient satisfaction across 430 hospitals. The nurse work environment was significantly related to all HCAHPS patient satisfaction measures. Additionally, patient-to-nurse workloads were significantly associated with patients' ratings and recommendation of the hospital to others, and with their satisfaction with the receipt of discharge information. Improving nurses' work environments, including nurse staffing, may improve the patient experience and quality of care. [Health Affairs 28, no. 4 (2009): w669-w677 (published online 12 June 2009; 10.1377/hlthaff.28.4.w669)]
Key Words:
Consumer Issues, Hospitals, Nurses