Patients' perceptions of caring behaviors at referral hospitals in Ethiopia: A cross-sectional survey

Abebaw Jember Ferede; Lena Wettergren; Kerstin Erlandsson; Lemma Derseh Gezie; Helena Lindgren; Biftu Geda

doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2023.06.015

Patients' perceptions of caring behaviors at referral hospitals in Ethiopia: A cross-sectional survey

Int J Nurs Sci. 2023 Jun 29;10(3):391-397. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnss.2023.06.015. eCollection 2023 Jul.

Authors

Abebaw Jember Ferede¹, Lena Wettergren^{2

3}, Kerstin Erlandsson^{3

4}, Lemma Derseh Gezie⁵, Helena Lindgren², Biftu Geda⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Nursing, School of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Postal address: 196, Gondar, Ethiopia.
² Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
³ Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
⁴ School of Education, Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
⁶ Department of Nursing, College of Health Science, Shashamene Campus, Madda Walabu University, Shashamene, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine patients' perceptions of nurse caring behaviors and to identify factors associated with these perceptions.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at three referral hospitals in Ethiopia. A consecutive sample of male and female patients (n = 652, response rate 98.8%) was interviewed using the Amharic version of the Caring Behaviors Inventory-16 (CBI-16, including four subscales: Assurance, Knowledge and skill, Respectful, and Connectedness) and the Patient Satisfaction Instrument (PSI). Socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with perceptions of caring behaviors were identified using multiple linear regression analysis.

Results: Patients' perceptions of nurse caring behaviors were high (total Mean = 4.86, SD = 0.72). Behaviors related to the Assurance subscale were rated the highest. The multiple linear regression analysis result showed several socio-demographic and clinical factors statistically significantly associated with patients' perceptions of caring behaviors (total mean scores). Patients who were 40-49 years (B = -0.19, P = 0.012) and single (B = -0.13, P = 0.03) scored lower on total CBI-16 scores. Whereas, patients who had a higher educational level (B = 0.35, P = 0.001), cared for at surgery units (B = 0.11, P = 0.027), and reported having spent more time with a nurse in the past 8-h shift (B = 0.16, P < 0.001) were more likely to have higher perceptions of the care they received. The CBI-16 was positively correlated with satisfaction with received care, as measured with the Patient Satisfaction Instrument (r = 0.62, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Hospitalized patients in Ethiopia have overall high perceptions of nurse caring behaviors, especially with regard to physical-based caring, while their expectations of emotional-focused care are lower. We identified patients who were in need of care, patients aged 40-49 years and single. The time spent with nurses plays a pivotal role in patients' perceptions of nurse caring behaviors.

Keywords: Caring behaviors; Ethiopia; Health services; Patient satisfaction; Surveys and questionnaires.