Nurses' perception on the quality of healthcare services: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Nurses play a critical role in delivering healthcare services, and their perception of the quality of those services is critical to better patient care. This study aimed to capture nurses' perceptions of healthcare services in India. Materials and Methods: An exploratory study design was adopted. 554 nurses from selected public and private hospitals in Kerala, India, were randomly selected for the study. The data were analyzed quantitatively with SPSS 23.0. Results: The perception of nurses in all dimensions of the HQP is observed as high (>3.5), with the exception of their involvement in quality management, which is reported as medium (2.5-3.49). Further, a significant difference between public and private hospitals (p < 0.05) is observed for all variablesl, except for the perceived effectiveness of quality improvement (p = 0.81) and the availability of training and development opportunities (p = 0.80). Additionally, nurses working in accredited hospitals (mean = 3.78) have more positive perceptions than non-accredited hospitals (mean = 3.69) (p < 0.05). Female nurses show a significantly more positive attitude toward the quality of health services than their male colleagues. Conclusion: The participating nurses were aware of various aspects of the quality management systems in their respective hospitals. In addition, the public and private hospitals and the accredited and non-accredited hospitals differed in their quality practices, as reflected in the nurses' voices. This study would help healthcare policy planners enhance the quality of the public sectors in India.