Evaluation of patient satisfaction with nursing care: quantitative or qualitative approach?

The purpose of this study was to assess the results, along with the feasibility, applicability and relative merits of paradigm triangulation in the field of nursing care quality by conducting, concurrently, a quantitative and a qualitative study of patient satisfaction. The sample consisted of 200 randomly selected in-patients from two large Greek metropolitan hospitals. Highest ratings were assigned to the technical aspects of care, whilst information delivery items were associated with the lowest ratings. Qualitative analysis revealed a perception of nurses as weak against organisational limitations as the core theme underlying all categories of patients' complaints with nursing care. Seven more common themes were identified. The interpersonal aspect of care was central to patients' experience. The combination of qualitative and quantitative methodology appeared to contribute to the completeness of description and understanding of the phenomenon.