BACKGROUND: Relationships between patient satisfaction with nursing and patient clinical data have not been fully resolved in a Polish sample. Our objectives were to determine clinical factors associated with patient satisfaction with nursing and investigate differences between patients treated surgically for cervical or lumbar discopathy and degenerative changes.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective and cross-sectional study included 63 consecutively selected patients treated surgically for lumbar discopathy and degenerative spine disease and 41 patients undergoing surgery for cervical discopathy and degenerative spine disease from 1st June 2009 to 31st September 2010 in the Department of Neurosurgery and Neurotraumatology of Poznan University of Medical Sciences. In the first stage of this study, socio-demographic data, medical history, and clinical patient characteristics were collected. A minimum 12-month follow-up formed the second part. Nineteen patients with lumbar discopathy were excluded because they were unable to answer the questionnaire. Finally, 44 consecutively selected patients treated surgically for lumbar discopathy and 41 patients undergoing surgery due to cervical discopathy were evaluated with the Polish version of the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scale (NSNS-PL).

RESULTS: In patients with cervical and lumbar discopathy, the average Experiences of Nursing Care Subscale (ENCS) scores were 82.0 (SD 15.1) and 79.0 (SD 13.5), respectively, whereas the average Satisfaction with Nursing Care Subscale (SNCS) scores were 75.6 (SD 18.1) and 74.4 (SD 16.8), respectively. The study groups did not differ in regards to NSNS subscales. Associations between ENCS and SNCS scores were confirmed in both patient groups (rS=.73, p<0.001 and rS=.73, p<0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the importance of assessing the association between patient characteristics and patient perception of quality of nursing care. Satisfaction with treatment outcome and conviction about undergoing the same treatment affected experiences and satisfaction with nursing in the cervical group only.

Keywords: Cross-Sectional Studies, Patient Satisfaction - statistics & numerical data, Poland, Postoperative Care - standards, Prospective Studies