ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the differences nursing needs and satisfaction with medications in patients admitted to hospital. METHOD: The participants were 258 patients admitted for 3days or more to D hospital. The data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, t-test and ANOVA. SPSS-WIN 11.0 was used to assist analysis. RESULTS: The results are as follow: 1. Variables effecting nursing needs were education and economic level. All scores of nursing needs were higher in the group with less than middle school education compared to those with high school education or higher. 2. The scores for nursing needs were higher than the score for satisfaction in common item and injection domains. The scores for nursing satisfaction were higher than nursing needs in the oral medication domain. 3. The item with the highest difference between the scores for nursing needs and satisfaction was 'I want to know the side effect of the drugs'. CONCLUSION: Patients admitted to hospital want to know the therapeutic effect, side effect and reason for their drugs. However satisfaction with medication was not equal to needs. It is necessary to emphasize clinical pharmacology in nursing education programs.