RESUMO
PURPOSE: This study was aimed to identify the difference in satisfaction and importance of nursing care between patients in comprehensive nursing care unit (CNCU) and general nursing care unit (GNCU). It also confirms the difference between practice environment of nursing work and nurse's intention to work. METHODS: Nursing care satisfaction and importance levels were measured from 202 patients. Practice environment of nursing work and nurse's intention to work were measured from 54 nurses. RESULTS: The satisfaction level was higher in the CNCU in comparison to the GNCU (p < .001). There was no significant difference between the importance and satisfaction level of nursing care for patients at the CNCU (p=.973), whereas in the GNCU, patients' satisfaction level was lower than the importance level (p < .001). The score for practice environment for nursing work was higher in the CNCU than in the GNCU (t=3.34, p=.002). The nurse's intention to work in the CNCU was higher than that of the GNCU, but there was no statistically significant difference. CONCLUSION: Through the survey, the paper suggests that comprehensive nursing care is a service type that satisfies the nursing demand (importance) that patients consider important. Results from nurses showed no significant differences.