Nurses' View on Observance of Patients' Rights in Critical Care Units of Educational Hospitals Affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran in 2016

Background: Nurses are the principal healthcare service providers in a medical system who have a critical impact on the quality of healthcare. Thus, observance of ethical standards is an effective factor for enhancing the performance of nurses in the provision of high-quality care services. Aim: To evaluate the perspective of nurses on the observance of patients' rights in hospitals. Methods: In the present descriptive cross-sectional study, about 165 nurses, working in the critical care units (general and cardiac) of hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, were selected based on census method and inclusion criteria. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire along with a researcher-made questionnaire on nurses' view on patients' rights'' developed by Hasan Jozi Arkovazi. Data were statistically analyzed based on descriptive statistics using SPSS17. Results: Most nurses aged 20 to 29 years old (%57.6). About 94 (%57) and 71 (%43) nurses were respectively working in GICU and CICU. Almost %90.9 of the intended nurses was aware of the patients' rights charter. According to the results, the observed mean of the total participated subjects equaled to 137.77. The rate of observance of the patients' rights charter was %84.24, as a good level, and %15.76, as a medium level, in the nursing community. Conclusion: Iranian intended nurses had a positive view on the observance of patients' rights in the critical care units.