Patient satisfaction is an important quality outcome indicator of health care in the hospital setting. The measurement of patients' satisfaction with nursing is particularly important since nursing service is often a primary determinant of overall satisfaction during a hospital stay. This article reports on a study designed to update and revise the definition of patient satisfaction for application with ambulatory surgical patients and to develop a questionnaire that captures this definition. The Patient Satisfaction Scale, which specifically focuses on patient satisfaction with nursing care and is used extensively by nursing researchers, was selected for factor analytical examination. Psychometric testing resulted in a 15-item scale with three underlying dimensions.

A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY was conducted in an ambulatory surgical unit to explore the influence of selected nurse-sensitive variables on patient satisfaction and compare the reliability and validity of existing instruments that measure patient satisfaction. STUDY RESULTS indicate that age, gender, culture, pain control, and communication affect patient satisfaction in ambulatory care. A reliable tool to measure patient satisfaction is needed to promote improvements in care.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between patient satisfaction and selected variables that were identified as important in ambulatory surgery. The study addressed whether the selected variables are associated with the satisfaction of patients admitted to the hospital for ambulatory surgery. A descriptive correlational study was conducted in two hospital settings with 130 ambulatory surgical patients. Nurses (n = 16) in the ambulatory surgery departments completed a nurse demographic data form. The patient sample differed between settings in age, diagnosis, and use of computers. The nurse sample differed in the number of nurses with computers in their homes and their satisfaction with nursing. Results showed that patients' higher ratings of postoperative pain correlated with higher patient satisfaction. Patients with high postoperative pain rated satisfaction with pain management lower. A point biserial correlation (rpb = .22) indicated a significant correlation between patient satisfaction and nurses' use of computers to collect and record patient information (P = .01). The patient sample in the setting where computers were used showed a higher mean patient satisfaction.