title: Functional decline and satisfaction with nursing care among older hospitalized adults.
abstract: Around hospitalization, older adults often experience functional decline which can be a reflection of their need for nursing care. Given a shortage of nurses, determining the relationship between functional change and patients' satisfaction with nursing care can help to gauge the need for care. We assessed this relationship in a mixed prospective-correlational cohort study with 393 patients, 70 years or older. The art, tangible aspects and general satisfaction with nursing care were measured through interviews conducted at discharge. Patients' functional status was assessed at admission and discharge. Decline in functioning during hospitalization was the most powerful predictor of higher satisfaction with art and tangible aspects of nursing care in multivariate regression (β = 0.17-0.19, P < 0.01). This finding suggests that patients whose functioning deteriorates during hospitalization, have a greater need for and more contact with professional nursing care, and therefore report higher satisfaction with specific aspects of nursing care.
authors.affiliation: The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing, Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zisberg
authors.affiliation: The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing, Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zlotnick
authors.affiliation: The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing, Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Nurit
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gur-Yaish
authors.affiliation: Rambam Health Care Campus, Nursing Division, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Admi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology, Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sinoff
authors.affiliation: The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing, Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Efrat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shadmi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D009732:Nursing Care; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D020127:Recovery of Function
keywords: functionally impaired elderly; health services for the aged; hospitalization; nursing care; patient satisfaction