Patient satisfaction with nurse practitioner care in Newfoundland and Labrador

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the level of patient satisfaction with health care provided by Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), in primary health care settings.
Methods: This is a descriptive study. 155 adult patients (N = 155) were recruited from the four regional health authorities (RHAs) throughout NL who employed NPs in a primary health care setting. A 47-item questionnaire called the Nurse Practitioner Satisfaction Survey (NPSS) was given to patients after receiving care from a NP.
Results: Over 93% of the participants agreed or strongly agreed with their degree of satisfaction of care provided by the NP. Patients who visited the NP one to five times in the past year reported higher levels of satisfaction. No significant differences based upon marital status, gender or ethnicity were found.
Conclusions: Patient satisfaction was rated as high for care provided by NPs with over 98% of participants reporting they would seek the services of a NP in the future. The majority of the participants would recommend the NP to others seeking health care services. This study describes patient satisfaction with NP care and highlights NPs as valued providers of care in rural and urban primary health care settings. Identified narrative themes were timely access to care, NP knowledge, trust, and provider consistency. NPs should seek ways to ensure they work to their full scope of practice to meet the needs of the population and increase their presence in primary health care settings.