Can nurse innovation improve customer perception of service quality and experience?

Abstract

Aims and objectives: This study aimed to clarify how nurse innovation is related to customer perception of medical service quality and experience.

Background: Recently, many hospitals have put much emphasis upon the development of nurse innovation.

Design: A cross-sectional study was employed.

Methods: This study adopted questionnaire survey method with nurses and customers of the inpatient wards from three Taiwanese hospitals as the research subjects. After pairing, there were 294 valid questionnaires. Hierarchical regression analysis was utilised to test the possible impact of nurse innovation on medical service quality and experience.

Results: In terms of the dimensions of nurse innovation, 'innovation behaviour' ranked the highest (3·24), followed by knowledge creation and innovation diffusion; in terms of the degree of the medical service quality, 'reliability' ranked the highest (4·35). As for the degree of the medical service experience, 'feel experience' ranked the highest (4·44). All dimensions of nurse innovation have no significant effects on medical service quality and experience.

Conclusion: Of these three dimensions of nurse innovation, the level of innovation behaviour was perceived by the nurses as the highest. The study found that nurse innovation has no significant effects on customer perception of service quality and experience.

Relevance to clinical practice: Hospitals shall provide sufficient resources and budget for fostering innovation development and encourage their nurses to develop nursing innovation for patents. The education and training courses on 'patient-centred' shall be enhanced among hospital nurses. Healthcare managers shall also explore the difficulties about innovation diffusion and find the solutions for nurses.

Keywords: hospital; management; nurses.