Nursing Care Perceptions of Older Individuals Undergoing Surgery

INTRODUCTION: This qualitative study aimed to identify the nursing care perceptions of older individuals undergoing surgery.
METHODS: In-depth interviews method were used to collect tthe data. The study was conducted in adult surgical clinics at a university hospital in Turkey in February 2018. A total of 15 patients who were >65 years of age and had undergone surgery were included in this study. The number of patients in the sample was determined using the purposive sampling method.
RESULTS: Seven themes were identified and grouped under three categories in this study. The patients thought that nursing care included spiritual values. The patients expressed the roles of nurses in care as fulfilling the needs of the patients, informing patients, and protecting and advocating patients’ rights. It was determined that both positive and negative attitudes of nurses during care also affect the patients’ perceptions.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Planning and implementing care, taking into account the patients’ perceptions of nursing care, will increase the patients’ satisfaction with nursing care. The data obtained from this study including the perceptions of older individuals regarding nursing care and nurses’ roles in care will contribute to the development of protocols, care maps, and new researches related to nursing care.