Nurses’ attitude to patient education barriers in educational hospitals of Urmia University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

• BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to explore nurses’ attitudes to the barriersof patient education as a right for getting information based on work situation of nurses, educational facilities in hospitals, and patients’ situation.
• METHODS: The study was conducted using a cross-sectional design. The populations consisted of 240 nurses affiliated in the Educational Hospitals. The data were gathered by a questionnaire. Demographicvariables and three domains were studied. Twenty questions were about their working situation, 4 questions about hospital educating facilities, and 12 questions were about patients’ situation in hospital. The type and frequency of educationbarriers were evaluated, and variables associated with reportingan obstacle were analyzed.
• RESULTS: In our questionnaire, we used a Likert scale for determining severity of three domains as the barriers of patient education that ranged from 0 to 4. Generally, it was obvious that educational condition in our hospitals was not good and most of the nurses believed that patient education is not their duties, facilities in hospitals are not sufficient and shortness of time is the most important cause of insufficiency of patient education.
• CONCLUSIONS: The interactions of patient, physician and systemicfactors have implications for the implementation of patient education. The failure of adequate patient education maybe attributed to the lack of patient adherence, the failure of nurses'knowledge and skill level or the insufficient funding and organizationof necessary programs in the current health care system.
• KEY WORDS: Attitude, health barriers, educational hospitals, Urmia.