Perceived Satisfaction, Quality of Care, and Enablement Among Patients Receiving Acute Care From Nurse Practitioners in Taiwan: A Multi-Hospital Study

Background: Nurse practitioners (NPs) have increasingly been employed in acute care hospitals to help reduce shortages in medical staff. However, no data exist regarding the outcomes of hospitalized patients in Taiwan receiving continuous NP care. Purpose: This study was designed to investigate perceived satisfaction, quality of care, and enablement among patients receiving care from NPs in Taiwan. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to investigate a sample of adult patients admitted to medical or surgical units in participating hospitals in Taiwan between August 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were invited to complete the study questionnaire during hospitalization. Data on basic institutional and patient characteristics were collected. The modified Patient Enablement and Satisfaction Survey was used to investigate perceived satisfaction, quality of care, and enablement among the participants, and multivariable linear regression was applied to explore the potential factors associated with these three variables. Results: Seven hundred eight medical and surgical patients from three medical centers and seven regional hospitals across Taiwan participated in this study. Perceived satisfaction with NP care in the sample ranged from satisfied to very satisfied. The regression analysis revealed that ratio of NPs to acute care beds, area of residence, admission route, medical division, and perceived health status were significant predictors of patient satisfaction with NP care ( p p p Conclusions/Implications for Practice: The findings of this study indicate that the general level of satisfaction among medical and surgical patients in Taiwan with NP care is relatively high. Numerous factors were identified as key influencers of perceived satisfaction, quality of care, and enablement among medical and surgical patients. The results of this study provide vital information to help NPs and hospital administrators develop and implement strategies to improve satisfaction, quality of care, and enablement among patients receiving acute care from NPs.