Influence of Socio Demographic Variables on Patient’s Satisfaction with Quality of Nursing Care in Teaching Hospitals in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Nurses have become central to many lives but how well nurses have fulfilled clients’ expectations is often a matter of great concern. Nurses in many developing nations have been criticized for negligence, poor interpersonal relationship, treatment errors and the use of abusive language. In view of these statements this study was conducted to assess the influence of socio demographic variables on patients’ satisfaction with the quality of nursing care in teaching hospitals in Northern Nigeria. Descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study and questionnaire, structured interview and focus group discussion (FGD) were used for data collection. The quantitative data was coded and analyzed using descriptive methods such as frequency tables, percentages and measure of central tendencies while inferential statistics (chi-square and regression analyses) were used to test the hypothesis. The finding showed that the mean age of respondents is 41 years. About half (47.4%) were Christians and the remaining (52.6%) were Muslims. Female respondents constitute (55.9%) while 44.1% were male. The respondents cut across socio-economic classes and units of the hospitals. The study revealed that, majority (77.6%) of the clients were satisfied with the quality of nursing care rendered in teaching hospitals in Northern Nigeria. The test of significant relationship between the variables showed that gender was not statistically associated with patients’ satisfaction (P<0.05) while patients’ age, educational attainment and economic class were statistically significant (P>0.05). Therefore, the study hypothesis was rejected. Among socio demographic factors that influenced patients’ satisfaction with quality of nursing care, patients’ level of education and economic status played major role. It is therefore recommended that, curriculum of nursing training and post qualification workshops and seminars should be strengthened with the components of human relation and behavioral science.