Satisfaction with nursing care in the emergency department of an urban hospital in the developing world: A pilot study

•The level of satisfaction with emergency department nursing in Jamaica was high.•Higher educated clients were less likely to be satisfied with nursing care.•Empathy, assurance and reliability of care were associated with satisfaction.•Empathy, assurance and reliability were associated with intent to recommend service.

IntroductionNurses form the largest group of the workforce in hospitals and as such the quality of nursing care is a critical indicator of patient satisfaction.ObjectiveTo determine the level of patient satisfaction with nursing care in the emergency department of an urban teaching hospital in Jamaica.MethodsThis descriptive cross-sectional study used a convenience sampling technique to recruit 142 adult patients who accessed nursing care in the emergency and intermediate areas of the emergency department.Data were collected using a 22- item questionnaire adapted from the Patient Satisfaction with Nursing Care Quality Questionnaire and managed using SPSS® version 19.0 for Windows®.ResultsThe response rate was 77.6%; most respondents (62%) were female, and educated at the secondary level (42.3%). The mean satisfaction score was 32.60 (±7.11) out of a possible 42. Most (59.9%) patients reported that they were very satisfied with nursing care in the emergency department. Satisfaction with nursing care was associated with clients' education. Perceived health status and empathy of nursing care offered were associated with patient's satisfaction with care (p = 0.05).ConclusionsPatients were highly satisfied with nursing care in the emergency department studied. Client's education, perceived health status and empathy of care were predictors of satisfaction.