The importance of nurse caring behaviors as perceived by Swedish hospital patients and nursing staff

The present study identified patient (n=81) and nursing staff (n=105) perceptions of the most and least important nurse caring behaviors. Using a Swedish version of the CARE-Q instrument, patients ranked as most important competent clinical know-how, while the nursing staff ranked expressive/affective behaviors as most important to make patients feel cared for. The results show significant differences (p<0.05) between the two groups in the rating of 29 of the instrumentʹs 50 specific behaviors and in five out of six subscales combining individual items. Thus, patient perceptions of important nurse caring behaviors differ from staff perceptions. These results are similar to those from other studies of hospitalized patients’ perceptions of caring. The staffʹs results are in accordance with studies of professional nurses’ perceptions of caring. The findings support conclusions by other authors.