As healthcare institutions focus on patient satisfaction to provide evidence of quality care, understanding patient's expectations is essential to improve care. The purposes of this study are: (a) identify patient expectations of nursing care, (b) determine if expectations were met, and (c) compare patients' expectations of care in an acute adult general medical unit and a progressive telemetry unit. Neuman's System's theory is the framework for the study. The sample will consist of 50 general medical patients and 50 medical telemetry patients preparing for discharge. Permission will be obtained from Ball State University, the participating hospital, and from patients. The patient's name will not be identified. All data will remain anonymous. The study is voluntary and care will not be affected if patients choose not to participate. The instrument will be Risser's Patient Satisfaction Scale, measuring dimensions of patient satisfaction: (a) Technical Professional, (b) Interpersonal-Educational, and (c) Interpersonal-Trusting. Demographic data will also be collected. The design is comparative descriptive. The data will be analyzed using t-tests.
Research Papers [5100] Research papers submitted to the Graduate School by Ball State University master's degree candidates in partial fulfillment of degree requirements.