Abstract

As nurses provide most of the patient care in hospitals, patient satisfaction depends in part on their interactions with patients. We examined how the nurses’ use of non-technical methods (shared goal understanding, patient focus, and nurse empowerment) and technical methods (standard problem-solving and visual management) affect patient satisfaction. Data was gathered through a survey of nurses in one hospital that has employed process improvement practices for more than five years. Significant findings are that patient focus, nurse empowerment, and using standardized problem-solving methods improve patient satisfaction. We also found that patient satisfaction decreases in two cases: first, when nurses use visual indicators without using standardized problem-solving methods, and when nurses are not empowered but are strongly pressured to meet goals.