Evaluation of patients' satisfaction with the quality of services provided by nurses of primary health care facilities in small towns and villages of South-Eastern Poland

Background. An important part of health services quality is the quality of nursing care. It largely determines the level of patients' satisfaction with care. Its assessment is a useful tool to identify weaknesses in services as well as an opportunity to improve their quality. Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess patients' satisfaction with the services provided by nurses in primary health care in small towns and villages of South-Eastern Poland. Material and methods. The survey was conducted among 794 patients. Research tool was the author's 26 item questionnaire. Results. The group who assessed the kindness of nurses the best were pensioners (84.9% rating of good and very good, p < 0.05), while the worst white-collar workers who, although a large proportion spoke about it positively, also gave a 35.3% negative marks (p < 0.05). The more often respondents used the services of primary health care clinics, the score of courtesy of nursing staff was higher (p < 0.001). Students were the most demanding group, which also the worst evaluated nursing staff politeness. Conclusions. Most patients treated in primary care services are satisfied with the nursing care provided there. However patients expect more support from the nursing staff in difficult situations associated with the disease.