Patients give higher scores for nursing care than do nurses

(HealthDay)—A survey has revealed that patients at a single level-1 trauma center emergency room consistently rate the nursing care received higher than do the nurses, according to research published in the July issue of the Journal of Emergency Nursing.

Fidela S.J. Blank, R.N., from the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, and colleagues surveyed pairs of patients and nurses regarding perceptions of nursing care in a 50-bed emergency department of a level 1 trauma center.

The researchers found that the patient participants ranged in age from 18 to 89 years (19 males; 30 females). Just over half of the nurse participants had more than 10 years of experience, while 22 percent had five to 10 years and 20 percent had less than five years. The patients consistently rated care higher than did the nurses. This was particularly true when patients either knew their nurse's name or were able to identify them by sight.

"The unexpected highly positive patient rating did not identify specific areas for practice improvement; it did provide positive feedback for excellent care, reinforcing good nursing practice," the authors write.