Objectives-To test the validity and reliability of scales for measuring patients' experiences of and satisfaction with nursing care; to test the ability of the scales to detect differences between hospitals and wards; and to investigate whether place of completion, hospital, or home influences response. Design-Sample survey. Setting-20 wards in five hospitals in the north east of England. Patients-2078 patients in general medical and surgical wards. Main measures-Experiences of and satisfaction with nursing care. Results-75% of patients approached to complete the questionnaires did so. Construct validity and internal consistency were both satisfactory. Both the experience and satisfaction scales were found to detect differences between randomly selected wards and hospitals. A sample of patients (102) were sent a further questionnaire to complete at home. 73% returned this; no significant differences were found in either experience or satisfaction scores between questionnaires given in hospital or at home. Conclusion-Scales to measure patients' experiences of and satisfaction with nursing in acute care have been developed and found to be valid, reliable, and able to detect differences between hospitals and wards. Questionnaires can be given before patients leave hospital or at home without affecting scores, but those given at home have a lower response rate.

Patient satisfaction is increasingly being measured as an indication of the effectiveness of nursing care. At present, however, there are no validated UK scales available specifically addressed to nursing. The aim of the present study was to develop a sensitive, valid and reliable measure of patient satisfaction. This paper describes the first phase of the study, the development of a multidimensional concept of satisfaction from the patients' perspective. Using qualitative methods, patients were interviewed both in hospital and following discharge. Eleven main concepts were identified: nurses' manner, attentiveness, availability, reassurance, individual treatment, openness/informality, information, professionalism, ward organization, nurses' knowledge and ward environment. Beginning with customer-defined values has provided the starting point for the development of a scale to measure patients' satisfaction with nursing using concepts important to patients, rather than hospital personnel or research teams.

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Interviews were undertaken with 202 men admitted to five hospitals in northeast England following an uncomplicated first myocardial infarction. The likelihood of patients speaking to a nurse about recovery or seeing a physiotherapist, dietician or specialist rehabilitation nurse, varied considerably between hospitals. Whilst virtually all patients received written information concerning some aspect of life-style change or cardiac rehabilitation, the quality and range of information, particularly with regard to information about stress or anxiety, was frequently limited. Instructions about seeing a general practitioner following discharge were often vague; formal rehabilitation programmes, where they existed, excluded some patients. The study suggests that much patient education is dependent on the provision of written information alone, and that further evaluation of the effectiveness of self-help material supported by nursing input is desirable.