Nurses' perspectives of the patient care experience assessment items using importance-performance analysis

Aim This study aimed to evaluate the importance and performance of hospital nurses for patient experience evaluation items from the perspective of care providers and to identify the items that need improvement. Background Patient experience includes customized treatment and services that focus on patient satisfaction and needs, with healthcare providers participating as partners. Methods The study was conducted using a cross-sectional survey design, and data were collected on the importance and performance of 15 out of 24 patient experience evaluation items. The sample population consisted of 193 direct care nurses from two hospitals in South Korea. Results The results showed the items with significant differences in importance and performance ('concentrate here' areas) such as 'description of a drug' (t = 2.26, p = .025), 'listening to patients' (t = 6.64, p < .001), 'description of adverse drug reactions' (t = 10.19, p < .001), 'clean hospital environment' (t = 2.95, p = .004) and 'easy notification of complaints' (t = 8.37, p < .001). Conclusion The findings highlight the importance of awareness and performance in patient experience evaluation items from the nurses' perspective. While some items were recognized as important but not performing well, others were identified as important and performing well. Implications for Nursing Management As identified in this study, nursing managers should strive to develop nursing practice standards and educational programs for nurses to improve patient experiences. It is crucial that these changes are reflected in policies.