ABSTRACT
Objective To probe into the gaps between the inpatient care needs at public tertiary hospitals and existing nursing services,for measures to improve the quality of nursing service.Methods The simple clinical score(SCS),Barthel index scale,patient care needs questionnaire,and actual service status questionnaire were used in a multi-centered stratified random sampling survey, covering the adult inpatient wards of 72 departments at six tertiary hospitals.The results were subject to a stratified analysis of patient care needs, and a comparative analysis between patient care needs and the actual status of the service.Results Statistically significant differences were found between the nursing needs of patients from among different departments,self-care abilities and those with different conditions(P<0.05); the patient care needs and actual service status in cleaning, eating, excretion, activities, health education, basic treatment and nursing of traditional Chinese medicine in terms of the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05); the comparative analysis found differences between patient care needs and actual service status.The top five patient care needs which were greater than the actual service status were namely temperature measuring,rehabilitation guidance,routine inspection,observation and psychological care.The top five areas with actual service status greater than patient care needs were namely turnover /back flapping, toilet assistance,temperature measuring,hands washing before and after meals,and herbal fumigation.The top five areas with minimal gap between needs and service were namely oral care, moxibustion, perineal care,assistance in using toilet in bed and manicure.Conclusions Departments, self-care abilities and conditions of patients vary with their needs of nursing.Based on the existing problems between patient care needs and the actual service status,nurses should increase their care in such soft indicators as rehabilitation guidance,routine inspection and disease observation, and fully meet the needs of patients.On the other hand,they are expected to enhance patients′health education and health literacy in such hard indicators as temperature measuring,turnover and back flapping.