title: Maintaining privacy on post-natal wards: a study in five European countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Maintaining privacy on post-natal wards: a study in five European countries Aim. To describe how mothers' privacy is maintained on post-natal wards in five European countries: Finland, Spain, Greece, Germany and Scotland [United Kingdom (UK)]
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Privacy is an important concept in nursing and nursing ethics. Empirical studies in this field, however, are few. In this study, privacy is defined as comprising both physical and social-informational dimensions and both the perceptions of mothers and professional were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data were collected by a questionnaire from mothers (n=1192) and midwife/nursing staff (n=952).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results revealed differences both between the different countries and between patients' and professionals' views. Mothers in Finland, Germany and Scotland felt their privacy was maintained better than mothers in Greece and Spain. The differences in staff perceptions are less clear-cut. Different background factors emerge as statistically significant in different countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Empirical studies in privacy are important and give ideas about the problems in nursing practice. Future analyses should look also at other areas of nursing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, University of Turku, Turku, Finland, Researcher, Department of Nursing, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. helena.leino-kilpi@utu.fi
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leino-Kilpi
authors.forename: Maritta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Välimäki
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dassen
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gasull
authors.forename: Chryssoula
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lemonidou
authors.forename: P Anne
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arndt
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaljonen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005858:Germany; D006115:Greece; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D016389:Maternal-Child Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D010362:Patients' Rooms / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010550:Personal Space; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D012606:Scotland; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires