Perception of patients towards nursing profession and associated factors among the admitted patients in jimma medical center, southwest Ethiopia, 2019

Abstract

Background: Nursing is a health care profession, which focuses on the care of individuals, families, and communities which used to attain, maintain or recover optimum health for all individuals of all ages and cultural background who are healthy and ill in a holistic manner based on the individuals’ physical, emotional, psychological, intellectual, social and spiritual needs. The perception of nursing profession perceived by the patients and society influences the participation of new generation to join in the nursing profession. In which studies show that misconception and stereotype which harms the image of nursing profession due to misunderstanding of the nursing profession facts. Objectives: To assess perception of patients towards nursing profession and associated factors among admitted patients in Jimma medical center, Southwest Ethiopia 2019. Methods: Institutional based cross sectional study was conducted in Jimma medical center from April 3/2019 to April 15/2019. Systematic sampling technique was used to select 234 study participants using structured interviewer administered questionnaire. The collected data were cleaned and entered into Epidata version 3.1 then exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis were done and the significant variables explained by using unstandardized ß value and p value Results: Among 234 respondents the overall score of perception towards nursing profession was 52.77% and on tertiary classification of the perception score, 99(42.4%) with high perception 61(26%) with medium perception 74(31.6%) of them had low perception, towards nursing profession. Age of the respondents (41-60 years) with the value of (ß= -1.172, p=0.042), their area of residence with value of (ß= 1.853, p= 0.008), social value and role characteristics with value of (ß= 2.065, p= 0.0001) and nursing care satisfaction with value of (ß= 1.769, p= 0.001) were factors affected perception towards nursing profession in multivariable linear regression analysis. Conclusion and Recommendation: This study revealed that the overall level of patients’ perception towards nursing profession was low. Only 42.4% had high level of perception. Nurses’ self-description, activity explanation for the patients, creation of awareness on the importance of nursing profession in the health care system, community mobilization about the profession and provision of refreshment training could be given for those nurses working in Jimma medical center.