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This paper aims to assess patient satisfaction with nursing care and related hospital services, and association between satisfaction and patient characteristics at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL).

A systematically selected sample of 380 patients warded for three to 90 days in general surgical/medical units was interviewed on discharge. Data were collected using a satisfaction instrument previously developed and validated for the same setting, that contained 36 items under five sub‐scales. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with satisfaction in each sub‐scale.

The paper finds that the majority of respondents were males (61 percent), aged 35‐64 years (70 percent), educated to GCE (O/L) and above (61 percent), and previously hospitalized (66 percent). The proportion satisfied with “interpersonal care” was 81.8 percent, “efficiency and competency”, 89.7 percent, “comfort and environment”, 59.2 percent, “cleanliness and sanitation”, 48.7 percent, and “personalized and general information”, 37.4 percent. Males reported higher satisfaction (OR varied from 2.29‐2.87, p < 0.001) than females. Patients with GCE (A/L) were less satisfied with “comfort and environment” (OR=0.45, p < 0.05) and “cleanliness and sanitation” (OR=0.45, p < 0.05) compared with those educated below grade 5. Satisfaction with “comfort and environment” was lower among patients from medical (OR=0.51, p < 0.01) rather than from surgical units.

Quality can be improved by assuring comfort, cleanliness, sanitary facilities in wards, and provision of general and personalized instructions. Nursing staff should understand patient characteristics and their expectations when providing care.

This is the first study that described patient satisfaction with nursing care and related supportive services using a validated instrument at the NHSL. The study highlighted aspects of dissatisfaction and recognized patient characteristics that predict satisfaction.